Winter Storm Stella a Record Snowstorm for Binghamton, New York; Over 30 Inches of Snow Reported From Northeast Bombogenesis

March 14,2017
Winter Storm Stella will continue to bring snow to the interior Northeast through Wednesday, but with lighter overall amounts than Tuesday. Strong winds could still lead to blowing and drifting snow in any areas that have received accumulating snow, leading to more slick travel over the next 12 to 24 hours.
(MORE: How Winter Storms Are Named | Winter Storm Central)
Stella has become the heaviest snowstorm on record in Binghamton, New York, surpassing Winter Storm Argos in November. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, 28.8 inches of snow had been measured at Binghamton Regional Airport, and snow will continue to fall through Wednesday in this south-central New York city.

Current winter watches, warnings and advisories

This major nor'easter has taken shape as an area of low pressure off the East Coast underwent bombogenesis, meaning there was a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure, indicating strengthening.
(MORE: What is Bombogenesis?)

Happening Now

Current Conditions and Radar

Snowfall Totals So Far

Widespread 1- to 3-foot snow accumulations have piled up in parts of the Northeast, led by 39 inches in Bridgewater, New York. At least one location in 15 states has seen a foot of snow from Stella in the Midwest and Northeast.
Here are some top and notable snowfall reports by state as of 11 p.m. EDT.

• Connecticut: Middletown (21 inches), New Fairfield (20.4 inches), Norfolk (20 inches), Burlington (19.5 inches), New Fairfield (19 inches), West Granby and North Granby (18 inches), Wilton (17.2 inches), West Hartford (15 inches)
• Delaware: Pike Creek (4.4 inches), Greenville (4.3 inches), Hockessin and Claymont (4.2 inches), Newark (3.6 inches)
• Maine: Bridgton (20.7 inches), New Gloucester (18.1 inches), Hollis (16.1 inches), Portland (15 inches), Gray (15 inches)
• Maryland: Sabillasville (11 inches), Frederick, Thurmont and Cumberland (10 inches), Westminster (8 inches)
• Massachusetts: Williamstown (19 inches), Otis, Southwick and Ashfield (18 inches), Lowell (15 inches), West Springfield (14.5 inches), Boston (6.6 inches)
• New Hampshire: Nottingham (19 inches), Laconia (18 inches), Exeter (17.8 inches), Concord (12 inches)
• New Jersey: Vernon (20.3 inches), Hackettstown (20 inches), Wantage (19.8 inches), Highland Lakes (19.5 inches), Sussex (17.5 inches), Montague (16.5 inches), Newark (6.4 inches)
• New York: Bridgewater (39 inches), North Brookfield (36.5 inches), Leonardsville (34 inches), Endwell (33.5 inches), Jefferson and Saranac Lake (32 inches), Gabriels (31.4 inches), Eagle Bay and West Winfield (31 inches), Binghamton (28.8 inches), Albany (15.5 inches), Syracuse (14.9 inches), NYC-Central Park (7.6 inches)
• Pennsylvania: Susquehanna (32.3 inches), Damascus (30 inches), Trevorton (29 inches), Beach Lake and Waymart (27 inches), Wallsville (26.5 inches), Lords Valley and Clarks Summit (26 inches), Mount Pocono (24 inches), Scranton (21 inches), Harrisburg (17 inches) Philadelphia Int'l Airport (6.0 inches)
• Rhode Island: Burrillville (13 inches), Harrisville and North Foster (11.5 inches), North Cumberland (9.3 inches), Warwick (6.5 inches), Pawtucket and North Providence (5.5 inches)
• Vermont: Woodford (23 inches), Perkinsville (19 inches), St. Albans, Milton and Sheldon (18 inches), South Burlington (17.5 inches)
• Virginia: Winchester (8.1 inches), Washington-Dulles Airport (5.6 inches)
• West Virginia: Near Great Cacapon (12 inches), Near Smith Crossroads (11.3 inches), Keyser (11 inches)

Stella has become the heaviest snowstorm on record in Binghamton, New York, surpassing Winter Storm Argos in November. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, 28.8 inches of snow had been measured at Binghamton Regional Airport.
Albany's 15.5-inch snowfall total puts Stella in the top-10 for highest March snowstorms in New York's capital city.
The 6.0 inches of snow at Philadelphia International Airport was a record daily snowfall for March 14, breaking the previous record of 4.7 inches set in 1999.
In addition, there were two reports of avalanches Tuesday afternoon in northeast Pennsylvania, one in Falls Township and another in Tunkhannock, which closed PA-Route 92.

Highest Snowfall Rates

An incredible snowfall rate of 7 inches in one hour was reported in Ilion, New York, Tuesday afternoon, about 13 miles east of Utica.
Burlington, Vermont, reported 5 inches of snow in one hour Tuesday afternoon, another impressive snowfall rate.
Intense snowfall rates were also observed Tuesday morning with 4.5 inches in one hour reported in Highland Lakes, New Jersey, and 6 inches in 90 minutes in New Milford, Pennsylvania.
(INTERACTIVE: See Where the Snow is Now)
Binghamton, New York, picked up almost a foot of snow in just 4 hours early Tuesday.
Snow fell at the rate of 2 inches per hour in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, early Tuesday, and 1 inch per hour at both New York's JFK and LaGuardia Airports. New York's Central Park reported 7.6 inches of total snowfall as of Tuesday afternoon.
The New York City metro saw a wintry mix (snow/sleet), which was even accompanied by thunder for a period of time Tuesday morning.

Freezing Rain

To the south, warm air aloft led to freezing rain in parts of the mid-Atlantic states, including parts of the Washington D.C. metro early Tuesday.
Up to an estimated one-quarter inch of ice accumulation was measured at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Branches were downed in Chesilhurst, New Jersey, due to 0.4 inches of ice accumulation plus gusty winds.

Above: Tree damage from ice accumulation in Charles County, Maryland, south of Washington D.C. Tuesday morning.

Winds and Coastal Flooding

Wind gusts have topped 50 or even 60 mph from the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey to portions of southern New England. Wellfleet, Massachusetts (79 mph), Barnstable, Massachusetts (74 mph), West Island, Massachusetts (71 mph), Winsegansett Heights, Massachusetts (71 mph), Rockport, Massachusetts (68 mph), Orient, New York (68 mph), Fishers Island, New York (67 mph), Milton, Massachusetts (67 mph), and Seaside Heights, New Jersey (65 mph), have seen some of the top wind gusts as of Tuesday afternoon.
Strong winds in combination with the weight of the snow have downed tree branches in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York.
Tens of thousands have lost power in Massachusetts due to the high winds downing trees and power lines. Blizzard conditions have officially been verified in Worcester, Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service.
(MORE: Stella Batters New England)
Those strong winds resulted in coastal flooding in New Jersey, inundating some roads and prompting water rescues in the Atlantic City area.
(MORE: Coastal Flooding in New Jersey)

Below, we have the forecast for impacts in the Northeast followed by a recap of Stella's impact in the Midwest.

Stella's Northeast Timing

Through Wednesday

• Snow, heavy at times, will continue throughout much of upstate New York and western New England through Wednesday, due to lake enhancement.
• Lighter snowfall will continue across other parts of the Northeast, with the exception of locally heavier amounts where moisture runs into the higher terrain from southwest New York state into the Appalachians, but the worst of the storm will be over.
• Strong winds will continue and contribute to significant blowing and drifting snow from central Pennsylvania to northern New England. 
• Cold temperatures will continue through Thursday after Stella departs, making for icy conditions on untreated roads and other surfaces.

(MORE: Timing the Heaviest Snow)

Wednesday's Forecast

How Much More Snow to Expect in the Northeast?

• Six inches or more of additional snow is expected from parts of upstate New York to western New England. Some locations will see storm totals close to 3 feet of snow.
• Poor travel conditions will also exist in other parts of the Northeast, due to gusty winds causing blowing snow and low visibility.
• Wind gusts over 50 mph are possible in coastal northern New England.

(INTERACTIVE: Forecast Snowfall Tracker)

Snowfall Forecast

Stella's Midwest Chapter Recap

Stella impacted the Midwest with light to moderate snowfall accumulations across a large part of that region Sunday into Monday.
Areas of lake-enhanced or lake-effect snow continued into Tuesday morning and contributed to some heavy totals, locally topping a foot, in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois.
Chicago's O'Hare Airport reported 7.1 inches of total snowfall for the storm while Milwaukee picked up 10.4 inches, officially.
(MORE: Chicago's No Snow Cover Streak Ends)
Below is a recap showing some of the top snow totals from Stella in each state for the Midwest.
Illinois: 14.3 inches near Waukegan, 12 inches near Gurnee, 7.1 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport
Indiana: 4.4 inches near Munster
Iowa: 13 inches in Ringsted, 8.8 inches in Waterloo
Michigan: 15 inches near Wurtsmith Airfield, 5.3 inches at Detroit Metro Airport
Minnesota: 13 inches near Gary New Duluth, 6.5 inches in Rochester, 3.7 inches at Minneapolis/St. Paul Int'l Airport
North Dakota: 4 inches in New Town and Williston
Ohio: 5.5 inches in Geneva, 4.7 inches in Akron
South Dakota: 10 inches near Watertown, 9 inches in Aberdeen
Wisconsin: 21.5 inches in Elmwood Park, 15.6 inches in Newburg, 14.3 inches near Jackson, 10.4 inches at Milwaukee Int'l Airport
(MORE: 5 Extreme Winter Storms in Spring)

Stella's First Phase Recap: Snow Dusts the South

Parts of the South saw snow from Stella's first phase Saturday into Sunday.
Up to 5 inches of snow was reported near Cave City, Arkansas, and 4 inches was measured in Paris, Tennessee.
Sunday morning, parts of north Georgia, North Carolina and northern South Carolina saw snow from Stella. Most of the accumulations were on grassy and elevated surfaces.
Snow was even observed as far south as Columbia, South Carolina, Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said this was just the 17th time it has snowed there in March, dating to 1888.

PHOTOS: Winter Storm Stella

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