Snow to brush Philadelphia to NYC, bury Boston Friday

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

February 5,2016; 10:55AM,EST

 

 

A storm hugging the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts will bring a period of accumulating wet snow into Friday.
For part of the region, the storm will track far enough to the west to bring a moderate to heavy snowfall for several hours.
Accumulating snow will extend from the Delmarva Peninsula through much of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, southeastern New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

"Any snow accumulation on pavement in New York City and Philadelphia is unlikely with temperatures above freezing," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
Given the recent warmth and rain across the East Coast to begin February, snow will need to fall at a heavy rate to accumulate on roadways. Most of the snowfall will accumulate on non-paved surfaces.
Where the rate of snow becomes very heavy, roads will turn from wet to slushy in a matter of minutes and lead to slippery travel into Friday afternoon.
The heaviest snow is likely to fall across eastern Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut and much of Rhode Island. This includes Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Putnam, Connecticut. Snowfall totals could reach a foot.

"Snow will impact the morning rush hour around New York City and Philadelphia, as well as areas farther to the east, including Atlantic City, New Jersey; Boston, Brockton and Plymouth, Massachusetts; and Providence, Rhode Island," Pydynowski said.
Precipitation began as rain on Thursday night with temperatures well above freezing. As colder air seeped in, the rain slowly changed to wet snow from west to east.
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"Only a slight shift in the track of the storm could lead to more or less snow in some locations," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said.
Snow will reach Down East Maine and parts of Nova Scotia into Friday evening.
Clearing is forecast from southwest to northeast across the region spanning Friday midday, afternoon and evening.
Temperatures on Friday are expected to hover in the mid- to upper 30s F from southern New England to the lower 40s across the mid-Atlantic coast. Should any snow coat roads or sidewalks, the mild air will assist with storm cleanup operations during Friday afternoon and evening, since ice-melting compounds are effective at these temperatures.
The weekend will be dry with partial sunshine along the East Coast. Highs during the weekend will be mainly in the 40s.
Those hoping to see any accumulating snow for skiing or snowmobiling may be in luck during the second week of February and during the month of March.
Story content contributed by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.