The heavily traveled northeastern portion of the Interstate 95 corridor is expected to experience a significant bout of snow as a winter storm strengthens along the coastline.

The FOX Forecast Center is monitoring the potential for a widespread area of 1-3 inches of snow to start falling on Sunday evening from Washington, D.C. to Boston, with 5-8″ amounts expected to the north and west of Interstate 95.

Due to the expected snowfall in combination with dangerously cold air, the governor of New Jersey has issued a state of emergency and told residents to be ready to brace for below-zero wind chills.

“Following this weekend’s snow, we are expecting extreme cold with wind chills reaching -10° or below. Dangerously cold conditions are expected to persist through most of next week. Please limit your time outdoors and keep your pets inside as much as possible,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement on Saturday.

Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, schools, banks, and other services that would normally be in session on Monday have the day off, which will help keep roads clear for snow removal crews.

More than 30 million residents from the Appalachians to the Northeast are under some type of winter weather alert, which includes Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

Depending on how much snow falls, the system could produce the largest accumulations of the season for a region that has otherwise seen significant snowfall deficits.

Philadelphia sits at around 5″ of snowfall below normal, with New York City closer to half a foot behind what typically accumulates during the first half of winter.

Included in the zone of sleet and snow is the nation’s capital, where accumulations could reach 1-3 inches before the start of the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday.

The president-elect’s team said due to concerns over brutally cold air following the precipitation, most major inaugural events will take place indoors, which is a break from long-standing tradition.

Agencies around Washington, D.C. had been preparing for months for outdoor events, including a parade and the swearing-in ceremony.

The high temperature is expected to reach the mid 20s on Monday, which will plummet to near zero by Wednesday evening as the full scope of the Arctic air mass entrenches itself over the eastern two-thirds of the nation.

In all, more than 300 million people are expected to see below average temperatures as the coldest air of the season invades the nation.

Due to the threat of hypothermia, many communities from the U.S.-Canadian border to Florida plan to open warming centers so that those without shelter will have a temporary housing option.

A state of emergency has been declared for New Jersey starting at 8 a.m. Sunday due to a winter storm expected to hit parts of northern New Jersey with 6 to 8 inches of snow.

Gov. Phil Murphy made the announcement Saturday night ahead of the storm, which is expected to start Sunday morning and continue all day.

The state of emergency is statewide. Most of northern New Jersey will see at least 4 inches of snow, according to the weather service.

Winter weather warnings have been issued for parts of eight counties – Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union and Warren. Parts of 10 counties are also under lesser winter weather advisories.

Snowfall rates of more than 1 inch per hour are expected Sunday afternoon at the peak of the storm.

“Beginning tomorrow morning, we are expecting a winter storm to bring heavy snow, followed by dangerously low temperatures expected on Monday and continuing through Wednesday,” Murphy said in a statement Saturday night. “As always, I urge all New Jerseyans to use caution, follow all safety protocols, and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”

In addition to the state of emergency, the New Jersey Department of Transportation has issued a commercial vehicle travel restriction on multiple interstate highways across the state beginning Sunday at 9 a.m.

The restriction will be in place until further notice in both directions for I-76, I-78, I-80, I-195, I-280, I-287, I-295, I-676 and NJ Route 440, from the Outerbridge Crossing to I-287.

The latest forecast map issued by the National Weather Service shows a wide area of 6 to 8 inches of snow expected in northwestern New Jersey. There’s a chance for 10 inches in some spots in Sussex County.

Lower snowfall totals are expected southern New Jersey, where rain could mix with freezing rain and snow.

States of emergencies do not ban people from the roads or require them to shelter in place. Instead, they allow the state to organize its emergency response, trigger laws to prevent price gouging, and more.

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At least one big-name New Jersey Democrat will travel to D.C. for Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday.

Gov. Phil Murphy said he will be on hand to watch Trump take the oath of office a second time. That‘s even as several other top members of his party from across the country are skipping the event.

Murphy this week was asked to explain his decision compared to Democrats who feel their attendance would validate the Republican former and future president over Jan. 6 and other polarizing views and policies.

The governor said what convinced him to go was Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2020. Murphy said he and First Lady Tammy Murphy went and were surprised to see who was among the crowd.

“It was socially distanced, so it was not like your normal tableau,” Murphy told reporters at the Statehouse in Trenton on Monday. “We were struck by the amount of Republican governors who showed up. And not just by how many but who they were. Kristi Noem (of South Dakota), Doug Burgum (of North Dakota), Doug Ducey (of Arizona), Asa Hutchison (of Arkansas).

“It’s the right thing to do no matter all of the challenges and issues with Trump … and frankly, the big one to me is I just can’t believe the American people have given him a pass on denying that he lost four years ago. Still, I believe with all my heart it is still the right thing to do for the country and for the office.”

Democrats have cited numerous reasons for ditching Trump’s swearing-in Monday, whether it being the lingering uneasiness of Jan. 6, because the event is being held on Martin Luther King Day, or out of fear for their safety. Others have not said why they won’t be there.

The inauguration, usually held outside the U.S. Capitol, will instead be inside Monday because of freezing temperatures.

Murphy and Trump have long had a kind of love-hate relationship. The governor has repeatedly criticized Trump and fought his policies on immigration, guns, and taxes in court.

Still, the two collaborated on COVID-19 response and the Gateway Tunnel project during Trump’s first term. Murphy also visited Trump at his Bedminster golf club last summer after the assassination attempt on the ex-president. Then, after Trump won back the White House in November — and performed better than expected in blue New Jersey — Murphy said he got a phone call from Trump.

Murphy notes by the time he leaves office next January, he is the Democratic governor who will have served the longest under a Trump presidency, coming into office a year into Trump’s first term and exiting a year into his second.

That, Murphy argues, gives him a good perspective on how to handle Trump, even as Democrat sound alarms over what may happen to undocumented immigrants and reproductive rights under his new tenure. The governor has said he will “fight like hell” against Trump on some issues and try to find “common ground” on others.

That’s similar to stances that other Democratic governors have taken on Trump, who is famous for enjoying praise as much as he enjoys dishing out insults.

“I will never back away from partnering with the Trump administration where our priorities align,” Murphy said Tuesday during his latest State of the State address. “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested.”

To that end, Murphy said during the speech New Jersey will join other blue states in stockpiling a supply of medication used in abortions.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @johnsb01.