Heavy snow expected to bombard the Northeast this weekend
Misty Severi
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A large storm that brought wintry weather to much of the country earlier this week is expected to bring heavy snow to the Northeast over the weekend, weather forecasters have warned.
While the South recovers from more than a dozen tornadoes that resulted in the loss of electricity and claimed the lives of three people in Louisiana this week, the Northeast can expect nearly a foot of snow starting Friday.
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“Very heavy snowfall rates reaching 1 to 2 inches/hour will be likely across areas of interior New York and central New England,” the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service said Thursday. “Dangerous travel conditions and scattered power outages are expected.”
In response to the weather forecast, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) encouraged New Yorkers to work from home and stay off of icy roads during the storm.
“We urge everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow,” Hochul said Thursday. “Work from home if possible, stay off the roads, and make sure you and your loved ones remain vigilant.”
Parts of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania can already see several inches of snow, with some areas seeing up to 6 inches, according to CNN. Parts of eastern New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont could potentially see between 18-24 inches of snow over the weekend, and the highest altitudes could see as much as 2 feet of snow.
“Snow totals so far are low in parts of eastern New York, but colder air is expected as the day progresses. Rain will change to snow, making for tough travel later this afternoon and tonight,” Hochul said Friday. “New Yorkers should remain alert and monitor the forecast throughout the day today, especially in the North Country and areas along Lakes Erie and Ontario.”
The same storm has already brought over a foot of snow to Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The storm also brought a quarter inch of ice to the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, and approximately a tenth of an inch had built up in parts of Virginia.
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Major cities, including Boston and New York City, can expect 1-2 inches of snow this weekend.
The storm is expected to clear on Sunday, forecasts predict. Another storm could hit the East Coast from Wednesday through Christmas Eve, while the Midwest is expected to experience a cold spell that could be the coldest late December has been in at least two decades, according to the Washington Post. However, one week out can make it hard to predict exactly where and how hard places will be hit.