Winter Storm Hera Spreading Snow Across Great Lakes, But Wind, Rain to the East

Chris Dolce
Published: January 9,2016
Winter Storm Hera has left a swath of snow from parts of the southern Plains to the Midwest and more snow will fall across the Great Lakes and Appalachians. Hera will also cause strong to locally damaging winds further east across portions of New England later Sunday.
(MORE: Science Behind Naming Winter Storms)
Across some cities in the East, unseasonably mild temperatures will be experienced on the warm side of Hera. Instead of snow, these areas will see primarily rain, pushing the first occurrence of snow this season even deeper into winter than usual, in some cases into record territory.
First, let's hit on the snow that will impact parts of the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes and interior Appalachians.
Winter storm warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service in a swath of western and northern Michigan, while winter weather advisories extend southward into the Upper Ohio Valley.
(INTERACTIVE: NWS Winter Alerts)

Winter Weather Alerts

Hera's Snowy Side

Snow will pivot across parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes through Sunday, where the snow will become locally heavy at times, particularly over Michigan.
As much as 6.5 inches of snow fell in the Texas panhandle, while parts of the Oklahoma panhandle reported up to 4 inches of snow overnight Friday night along with some patchy freezing drizzle that lead to hazardous roads Saturday morning.

Snowfall Reports

Snowfall amounts generally in the 1 to 4 inch range have been reported in a narrow swath across Oklahoma, including both Norman and Tulsa. Snow has since ended over the Plains and Ozarks.
Columbia, Missouri, finally saw its first measurable snow of the season Saturday, a record-late date for such an occurrence. As of Saturday evening, up to 5.5 inches of snow was reported near Loose Creek Missouri. A band of light snowfall also extended across central to northern Illinois.
(INTERACTIVE: Latest Winter Radar)

Latest Winter Weather Radar

Intensifying low pressure will move northeastward into the Great Lakes then eastern Canada by later Sunday.
With just enough cold air in place, a stripe of snow will shift from the Ohio Valley to the Great Lakes into Sunday. A bit of light snow or snow flurries are possible as far south as portions of Kentucky and Tennessee.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)
In general, modest snow amounts are expected in most of this snow swath. The exception is parts of Michigan, where at least 6 inches of snow is expected through Sunday evening.
That said, we can't rule out, a few snowfall amounts approaching 6 inches in parts of northern Indiana. However, again, most accumulations in this zone should remain below 6 inches.
From parts of southeast Lower Michigan into the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians, rain will gradually changeover to snow by early Sunday, with relatively light accumulations, but brief heavier snowfall rates.
(FORECAST: Detroit | Indianapolis)
There will also be bands of lake-effect snow ongoing both outside of Winter Storm Hera's main snow shield, as well as following Hera's departure in the Great Lake snowbelts with additional significant snowfall accumulations in the Michigan and northern Indiana snowbelts into early Monday.

Winter Storm Hera Snowfall Forecast

Also, the strengthening low, coupled with high pressure over the central Plains, may lead to areas of blowing and drifting snow particularly Sunday in the western Great Lakes from Michigan to parts of Illinois and Indiana, making travel more challenging in those areas.
If you have a flight into or out of Detroit International Airport Sunday morning, or have other plans in and around the Great Lakes to finish the weekend, check back here frequently for updates to this forecast.

East: Mainly Rain, Strong Winds for Some

Due to the inland track of the low drawing mild air northward ahead of it, temperatures will be well above average for early January across the East. In fact, much of the region will wake up to low temperatures up to 25 degrees above average Sunday morning.
With such mild air in place by January standards, much of the precipitation with this storm will be in the form of rain. The exception to this rule will be in two places, as outlined above:
1. In a few pockets of far northern New England, just enough cold air may linger to allow for a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain to persist.
2. As arctic air moves in from the Midwest, locations from the eastern Great Lakes and Adirondacks to the Appalachians should see rain change to snow Sunday and Sunday night, with minor to locally moderate accumulations possible. Additional snow following Hera will be possible across the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario snowbelts into Monday.
(MORE: Is Light Snow More Dangerous For Drivers Than Major Snowstorms?)

Sunday's Forecast

Across the Northeast, especially eastern New England, winds will increase through Sunday and Sunday night. As Winter Storm Hera wraps up into Canada, an increasing pressure gradient between the storm and high pressure to the northeast may cause winds to gust to over 50 mph across eastern New England.
As a result, high wind watches and warnings have been posted from Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts to Downeast Maine, including the city of Boston. In addition to stronger sustained winds, a few low-topped thunderstorms may also cause spotty damaging winds elsewhere from New England to New Jersey.
(MORE: Thunderstorm Threat Includes Damaging Winds Sunday)

Wind Alerts

Another concern will be the rapidly falling temperatures behind the cold front which may lead to a flash freeze, quickly turning lingering wet patches on roads to ice.
Farther east, the Interstate 95 corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. will see nothing but rain Sunday, with high temperatures in the 50s to near 60.

Record Late First Snow Arrival in East

It's been a lengthy wait for season's first flakes in parts of the East, with a very warm December playing a major role.
Here are a few examples for various cities. Keep in mind that for snow records a trace means snow was observed but was not enough to be measured, while measurable snow qualifies as 0.1 inch or more.
(MORE: When the First Snow Typically Arrives)
Hera, in Greek mythology, was the wife of Zeus and goddess of women and marriage.

This maps shows the average date of the first measurable snow across the country.

Potential Records

Atlantic City, New Jersey

• Atlantic City is about a week away from tying its latest first trace of snow set Jan. 14, 1966, though some data is missing from the late 1990s.

Philadelphia

• Tied record for latest first snow (trace or more) on Wednesday, Jan. 6. This record will be broken on Thursday, Jan. 7.
• Feb. 3, 1995 is the record for the latest first measurable snow (0.1 inches or more). Average first measurable snow occurs around Dec. 13.

Cincinnati

• Approaching record latest first measurable snow set Jan. 12, 1983. Average first measurable snow is Nov. 25.

New York City

• Still more than three weeks away from its latest first measurable snow set Jan. 29, 1973. Average first measurable snow typically occurs around Dec. 9.

St. Louis

• Recorded its first measurable snow of the season Jan. 9, just under two weeks shy of the odl record set Jan. 21, 1983.
• Average first measurable snow typically occurs around Dec. 4.

Records Already Set

Albany, New York

• Saw its latest first measurable snow of the season Dec. 28, breaking the old record set Dec. 24, 1912.

Buffalo

• Recorded its latest first measurable snow on Dec. 18, breaking the old record set Dec. 3, 1899.
• Through January 7, it's the least snowy start to the season on record, with only 4.1 inches of snow at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. This is over 3 feet below the average-to-date of 42.7 inches, and over 100 inches below the snowiest season-to-date, 104.5 inches in 2000-2001.

Columbia, Missouri

• Recorded its latest first measurable snow on Jan. 9, breaking the old record set Jan. 5, 2002.
• On average, the first measurable snow arrives in Columbia by November 29.

Other Snow Drought Facts

Cleveland

• Through January 7, a meager 1.4 inches of snow has fallen at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport this season, the least snowy start to the season on record. This is over 21 inches below the season-to-date average of 22.7 inches.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Through January 7, only 7.2 inches of snow has fallen this season, just over 27 inches below the season-to-date average.
• Their least snowy season-to-date was 6.4 inches in 1906-1907.

MORE: Snowflakes Under a Microscope