The New England Blizzard's Winds Will Be 'Just as Bad' as the Snow

Though many people are focused on the New England snowstorm's heavy accumulations—and rightly so, with more than two feet expected in places (see below)—there's a secondary threat looming: powerful, sustained winds roaring in from the coast, which are likely to knock down all kinds of stuff and cause widespread power outages.

The Boston office of the National Weather Service is warning locals that aside "from the snow forecast, wind will be just as bad. Expect strong to damaging winds downing trees, powerlines etc." This map of predicted maximum gusts through Wednesday morning shows why wind is such a big concern here: A large slice of coastline could get scoured by 60-plus mph blasts, with areas closest to the ocean experiencing hurricane-force violence in the high-70 mph range.