Monday, December 8, 2014

Northeast Snowstorm to Plaster Interior While Tropical Storm Conditions Hit Coast

By , Senior Meteorologist
December 8,2014; 8:34PM,EST
 
 
A major storm will hit the Northeast from Tuesday to Thursday, complete with gusty winds, substantial snow, heavy rain, a wintry mix and flooding.
According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "This will be a snowstorm for some areas well inland, while impacts similar to a tropical storm will occur along the coast, including much of Interstate-95."
The storm is set to take shape early Tuesday morning along the mid-Atlantic coast before spreading inland and northward later Tuesday through Wednesday.

Heavy Interior Snow
It will be a battle between marginal temperatures, snowfall rate and warm air surging in from the Atlantic when it comes to determining which parts of the interior Northeast endure the heaviest snow.
Current indications point toward the heaviest snow targeting the Endless, Catskill, Adirondack, Green, White and Longfellow mountains, where between 6 to 12 inches are expected.

Additional snow Wednesday night through Thursday could push these amounts past a foot.
While the snow will be welcome by those with skiing interests, travel will become extremely treacherous and AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Ben Noll stated that the "wet-clinging nature of the snow could lead to downed trees and power outages."

Interstates that could quickly become snow-covered and treacherous for motorists include stretches of 87, 88, 90, 91, and 93 in upstate New York and northern New England. I-95 in Maine is also at risk.
Outside of the mountains, the rate of the snow in the interior Northeast will determine travel troubles and amounts.
"Marginal temperatures could cause the snow to melt as it falls on some of the roads for a time," stated AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
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"The snow would have to fall at a heavy rate to accumulate on paved surfaces outside of the mountains."
Communities at risk for one or more rounds of heavy snow and slippery travel include Scranton, Pennsylvania; Lebanon, New Hampshire; Caribou, Maine; Binghamton and Syracuse, New York; and Rutland and Burlington, Vermont.
"However, enough warm air could come into some of these areas to switch snow over to a wintry mix, or even rain for a time," Sosnowski said.
Aside from any heavier burst, the snow should be light enough for the stretches of interstates 68, 70, 79, 80, 86 and 90 in the central Appalachians and toward the eastern Great Lakes to be mainly wet or slushy Tuesday through Wednesday.
In the transition zone from snow to rain in the Northeast, a bit of icing could occur and add to the hazards for motorists. Icy conditions are expected as early as early as late Monday night and into Tuesday morning from central Pennsylvania to northern Virginia.
The storm will be a mainly rain event for the I-95 corridor from Boston southward to Washington, D.C., but AccuWeather.com meteorologists will be monitoring the potential for some wet snow at the storm's onset or end.
Downpours, Poor Drainage Flood Threat for I-95
The rain alone could bring some impacts to residents and travelers. The heavy rain threatens to trigger flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
Airline passengers should prepare for flight delays and cancellations. Poor visibility from wind-swept rain and the risk of hydroplaning will be a concern for motorists. Such travel disruptions will spread from Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City during the day on Tuesday to Boston for the evening commute.
Strong Wind, Coastal Flooding Potential
The danger of coastal flooding will exist Tuesday from the Delaware and New Jersey beaches to New York City and southern New England, then will increase Tuesday night farther north along the eastern New England coast as howling northeasterly winds whip the region.

The risk of coastal flooding will generally be limited to within a couple of hours of the scheduled high tides.
The winds along the coast could be strong enough to cause localized damage and power outages. Gusts could top 50 mph on some coastal areas.
The strong onshore winds at the coast will shut off as the storm moves northward and inland at midweek.
Scenarios for Thursday
Impacts will linger into Thursday.
Gusty winds from the northwest will pick up later Wednesday and Thursday over the mid-Atlantic.
The extent of wintry impacts from the storm on Thursday will depend on whether the storm weakens and crawls northward or if a second area of low pressure is able to form and back into the Northeast.
In both cases, some snow and rain will spread to the northern St. Lawrence Valley and the Canadian Maritimes Wednesday night through Thursday.
The solution of a second low tracking into the Northeast would bring more snow to northern New England, likely pushing totals in excess of a foot.
Bands of nuisance snow may also wrap back into parts of the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians in this scenario. Again, most of the accumulations would be on grassy surfaces.
"The one thing for Thursday is that there will be a tremendous amount of atmospheric energy, which could lead to bursts of snow, squalls and brief whiteouts over the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians," Noll added.
"I would not be surprised if a snow squall, in this scenario, reaches the I-95 corridor, such as Washington, D.C."
The scenario of the storm weakening would still lead to some bursts of snow across the central Appalachians and downwind of the eastern Great Lakes with fewer streaking east of the mountains in the mid-Atlantic.

On Social Media
Tweets for this articleAccuWeather Updates
Tri-State Weather
tristateweather
In depth storm update. It answers all of your questions for the northeast. Heavy rain & snow, strong wind and... fb.me/6XIzlY5R1
11h
Becky Elliott
AccuWxBeck
Timing of the incoming precipitation to the Northeast. accuweather.com/en/weather-new… pic.twitter.com/poJlqyxkKR
2h
Meghan Mussoline ☂
Accu_Meghan
Up to a foot of s
 
 
 
 
 
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