‘Potentially historic’ snow storm takes aim at Northeast this week
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Version 0 of 6. The Weather Service in New York City has dubbed it a “potentially historic nor’easter.” Forecasters in Boston are calling it a “text book case” for a New England blizzard. And residents from Philadelphia to New York are being advised to change their travel plans for the blockbuster winter storm that will impact the Northeast on Monday and Tuesday. Model forecasts are suggesting that a winter storm that will track up the Northeast coast on Monday night into early Wednesday morning could drop as much as 25 inches of snow along the country’s busiest and most populous Northeast corridor. New York City could see 20 inches of snow when all is said and done. Snow totals in Boston could rival the snowiest storm the city has ever seen: 27.6 inches on Feb. 17-18, 2003. D.C. forecast: Tricky storm brings snow tonight into Monday The powerful winter storm is a concern not just because of the rapid intensification it will undergo after it moves off the Mid-Atlantic coast, but also because of the high pressure and the deep pool of cold air to the north. These colder air temperatures are going to ensure a nearly all-snow event, and thus higher snow accumulation. In addition to the historic snowfall totals, high winds will create white out conditions that would paralyze travel from New Jersey to New England. A blizzard watch is in effect for parts of eastern New Jersey, New York City and Long Island, as well as southern Connecticut, all of Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. Wind gusts up to 50 mph could lead to widespread power outages. Visibilities will drop to less than ¼ of a mile at times of peak snowfall intensity, which is expected to climb to more than 1 inch per hour. The blizzard watch statement from the National Weather Service in New York details the extreme winter impacts that the region faces on Tuesday: The nor’easter will be born from an Alberta clipper that is currently making its way across the Ohio Valley. The Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas will see some snow from the storm, though not as much as the blockbuster totals expected just to the north. The Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J., is forecasting “most likely” snow totals anywhere from 6 to 10 inches in the Philadelphia area, though they caution that the worst-case scenario is more like 20 inches, and this storm’s worst-case scenario seems to have higher chances of playing out than we typically see. Around New York, the Weather Service’s “most likely” scenario is weighted heavily toward the worst case scenario, with a whopping 18 to 24 inches across all five boroughs of N.Y.C., Long Island, and southern Conn. If these totals play out, this nor’easter could break into the top five snow storms on record for New York City. And here are the 5 top biggest snowstorms for #NewYorkCity. Current fcst : 18-24" pic.twitter.com/hLVwDyzRvy — Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) January 25, 2015 And here are the 5 top biggest snowstorms for #NewYorkCity. Current fcst : 18-24" pic.twitter.com/hLVwDyzRvy — Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) January 25, 2015 In southern New England, the Weather Service is expecting similar snow totals. 18 to 24 inches seems most likely to fall across northeast Connecticut, Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts. Even the Cape will get its share of snow, with a forecast of 10 to 14 inches. Here's the top 5 snowfall events for #Boston on record. Current @weatherchannel fcst: 27" pic.twitter.com/wllkQsKAUC — Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) January 25, 2015 Here's the top 5 snowfall events for #Boston on record. Current @weatherchannel fcst: 27" pic.twitter.com/wllkQsKAUC — Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) January 25, 2015 Programming note: We will be providing another in-depth forecast of the D.C. area storm impacts for tonight and Monday morning later this afternoon. |