Published: January 26,2015
1.) Blizzard Conditions Likely, But Not Everywhere
Blizzard warnings are in effect for seven states and 28 million people as of late Monday morning.However, some locales in this large swath may not actually achieve blizzard conditions. This is because there is a strict set of meteorological criteria that needs to be met:
- Heavy and/or blowing snow
- Winds greater than 35 mph
- Visibilities less than 1/4 mile
- Conditions must persist for more than three hours
(MORE: Blizzard Facts and Myths)
2.) Juno Could be the Biggest Northeast Snowstorm in Nearly Two Years
For parts of the Northeast, Juno could be the biggest snowstorm in nearly two years.The most recent comparable storm was Winter Storm Nemo in early February of 2013.
Nemo's heavy snow and strong wind "footprint" closely resembles what is expected from Juno. This includes locations from New Jersey to New York City and Long Island, Connectictut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. All of these states except New Jersey had locations that received more than 2 feet of snow in Nemo.
Just like we saw with Nemo, snowfall rates in Juno will be extreme. The National Weather Service says that the snow could pile up at rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at times during the height of the storm from Monday night into Tuesday.
Not only that, the snow could be accompanied by lightning and thunder as the storm intenfies off the Northeast coast. We also saw this in Winter Storm Nemo.
3.) Snow Amounts Could Vary Greatly
Snowfall forecast as of late Monday morning.Our snowfall forecast map as of late Tuesday morning illustrated this with amounts ranging from up to 2 feet on Long Island to as little 5 inches in eastern Pennsylvania.
This makes for a tricky forecast in the New York City metro, with final snowfall amounts dependent on the exact evolution of the storm and where the heaviest snowbands set up.
4.) There Are Overlooked Threats: Wind and Coastal Flooding
When a major nor'easter is on the way, most people are wondering how much snow they will get. But with a storm that is forecast to be as intense as Juno, there are threats that can get overlooked.Strong winds from Juno could cause power outages from northern New Jersey into southern and eastern New England. Prepare for outages both during the storm and in the days after the storm. The winds could also cause tree damage.
Coastal flooding will be an issue from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, particularly on Tuesday from midnight into the early morning hours when high tide occurs. Of particular concern is eastern Massachusetts, where locally major coastal flooding is possible. Flooding could affect vulnerable roads and basements near the coast. Some structural damage is also possible in vulnerable locations, especially when factoring in the battering waves on top of the coastal flooding.
To see more information on these threats, see our full forecast article.
5.) Juno's Making the West Warm
The deep dip in the jet stream providing the dynamic energy for Juno to intensify has sent the jet stream into an equally amplified, but opposite, configuration in the western United States.Typically when the jet stream jogs southward in the East, this results in it building northward across the West. The outcome is widespread warmth, and that's what we are seeing from the Great Plains to the West Coast.
On Sunday, Death Valley, California, tied an all-time record high for January by topping out at 87 degrees. The last time it was this warm in the month of January in Death Valley was Jan. 8, 1962.
Bismarck, North Dakota, failed to fall below freezing on Sunday, marking the first time in 14 years that this has happened in the city during January.
Widespread above-average warmth is forecast into Tuesday from the Mississippi River westward.
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