The experience for Wagga ladies Ashley Carter and Gemma Paul was starkly different as terrible conditions put the city that never sleeps to a grinding halt yesterday.

Ms Paul has been in New York City for a six-week work secondment with Twomeys, and Ms Carter was enjoying a holiday.

The pair had enjoyed seeing the sights of New York at the weekend, before the conditions worsened.

American company AccuWeathers meteorologist Evan Duffy said terrible conditions were expected on Monday evening, New York time.

"An all-out blizzard will slam the New York City area and New England Monday night through Tuesday, bringing many communities to a standstill," Mr Duffy said.

Lengthy power outages were expected, with travel delay effects expected to ripple across the country.

Ms Carter's mum Peta Carter had been in regular contact with her daughter since news of the impending blizzard broke.

"We've been texting today," Mrs Carter said.

Mrs Carter said her daughter had spent the morning doing touristy activities before the conditions deteriorated.

"Ashley went out today and looked at the Statue of Liberty and said it didn't seem as bad as people had said it was," Mrs Carter said.

Ms Carter was supposed to fly out of New York on Tuesday to Chicago but her flight was cancelled.

"She said it's absolutely freezing and impossible to keep her feet warm," Mrs Carter said.

"She'll stay inside today and I don't think they will have any idea of the extent of the blizzard until they wake up in the morning.

Ms Paul said she and Ms Carter had travelled to the shops and stocked up on necessities.

"There is a statewide ban of all services, including transit, and driving will be suspended from 9pm and 11pm tonight and only authorised vehicles will be allowed.

"Some businesses have already shut down," Ms Paul said.

"They say it's been winds up to 20 to 30 miles an hour and 60 in other areas.

"It's very slippery and slushy at the moment and it won't hit until the next several hours."

"My friend Danielle and I arrived on Saturday at 5pm and Sunday we did the double-decker bus tours with the sun shining and completely clear sky requiring sunglasses and it wasn't until the night when the cold chill really kicked in."

To keep warm Ms Paul has been wearing thermals, a trench coat, gumboots, puffer jacket, gloves, beanie and ear muffs.