WeatherFanatics: Snow, Squalls Sweeping Through Great Lakes, Northeast

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Snow, Squalls Sweeping Through Great Lakes, Northeast

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

January 25,2014; 8:46PM,EST

A large and strong Alberta Clipper storm will swing across the eastern Great Lakes region Saturday with strong winds, areas of flurries, accumulating snow and local blizzard conditions. The storm will also affect New England and much of the mid-Atlantic.
The storm has the potential to bring dangerous conditions on the highways including I-69, I-75, I-79, I-80/90 and Route 219. Flight delays are possible at Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, N.Y.
This storm will ride a reinforcing blast of bitterly cold air that will slash temperatures by 10 to 20 degrees this weekend, preceded by a modest rebound.

The powerful circulation around the storm will bring wind gusts to 50 mph in some locations.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Gresiak, "The combination of rounds of powdery snow, gusty winds and low temperatures can make for whiteouts and brief blizzard conditions."

Roads that were previously cleared of ice and snow can become slippery in a matter of minutes.
The weather pattern favoring relentless cold in the Eastern States and prolonged warmth in the West will continue through the end of January.
Several inches of snow may fall from the storm as it moves eastward across the eastern Great Lakes and into the central and northern Appalachians through Saturday night.
RealFeel® temperatures will plunge well below zero as the storm approaches and moves by. In the wake of the storm, actual temperatures will be in the single digits around Chicago and Minneapolis and the teens over much of the northern Ohio Valley states and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
Lake effect can enhance snowfall rates in localized areas. Since some of the lakes still have large stretches that are free of ice, bands of heavy snow are possible just ahead of the system on southwest winds and behind the system on northwest winds.
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"In areas where the lakes are frozen, the smooth, flat surface will be a source for the high winds to send snowdrifts ashore," Gresiak stated.
Some snow and slippery travel is also unfolding across the I-81 and I-95 corridors in the Northeast. Areas from northern Maryland, northwestern Virginia, and New Jersey northward to southern New England could get a coating to a couple of inches of snow.

The storm will make for blustery conditions throughout the Northeast this weekend and will push much colder air back into the region Saturday night, after a brief temperature spike on Saturday.
Another clipper storm Sunday into Monday could bring another round of accumulating snow to parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
That clipper storm will begin to put down snow Saturday over part of the northern Plains.