Winter Storm Helena Taking New Aim on Mid-Atlantic, Northeast Coast; Heavy Snow and Blizzard Likely

January 6,2017
Winter Storm Helena has dropped mess of snow, sleet and ice from Louisiana to the Carolinas, but is beginning to pivot northeastward. The threat for heavy snow increases on Saturday from North Carolina to parts of the Northeast coast. Blustery winds will drive snow sideways in parts of the Mid-Atlantic.
(INTERACTIVE: Helena Snowfall Tracker | Winter Storm Central)
Blizzard warnings have been hoisted for southeastern Virginia including the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia. Blizzard warnings will also be in place for Cape Cod and the neighboring islands. White out conditions, gusts up to 45 mph, low visibility, and heavy snow or sleet is likely.
Winter storm warnings stretch from parts of eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi northeastward to the southern Delmarva peninsula, including Birmingham, Atlanta, Greenville/Spartanburg, Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. Travel in these areas will be dangerous, and it is best advised to stay home.
(NEWS: State of Emergency Declared in Alabama and Georgia)
Winter weather advisories are also posted for parts of the Deep South of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama mainly for potential ice accumulation. Winter weather advisories also stretch to the north from southern Oklahoma into Arkansas and into Tennessee.
(MORE: Five Things To Know About Helena)

Winter Alerts

Light snow spread across parts of the southern Plains and Mid-South Thursday night into early Friday. As of midday Friday, anywhere from 1 to 5 inches has fallen across the Texas panhandle into central Oklahoma into Arkansas, west Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Some patchy freezing drizzle was reported in San Antonio, Texas, early Friday.

Current Radar, Temperatures, Conditions

Let's detail the region-by-region forecast and impacts, starting in the South.

South Forecast

Timeline

• Friday night: Snow from northern Alabama into north Georgia, upstate South Carolina, western, central and northeast North Carolina into western Virginia. Bands of heavier snow are possible in these areas. Heavy snow, low visibility, and gusty winds are expected to bring blizzard conditions to extreme eastern Virginia during the early morning hours of Saturday. Some freezing rain or sleet just to the south of that snow swath from southern Mississippi to central North Carolina. 
• Saturday: Snow, heavy for some, from southeast Virginia into northern South Carolina, tapering off in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia Saturday night. Blizzard conditions in eastern Virginia could continue into Saturday afternoon.

(MAPS: 7-Day U.S. Snow/Rain Forecast)

Saturday's Forecast

South Snow/Ice Forecast Totals

• Best chance for 6 inches or more of snow: A swath from upstate South Carolina to central and northeastern North Carolina into southeast Virginia, including Charlotte, Raleigh and Norfolk.
• Some ice accumulation: Some light accumulations are also possible in parts of northern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina. 
• Leftover Ice/Snow: Keep in mind that temperatures on Saturday will not get much above freezing in the Southeast, so ice melt will be minimal. 

(MORE: What Ice Accumulations Mean For Impacts

Snowfall Forecast: Winter Storm Helena

Travel will be difficult continuing into Saturday and Saturday night.
With colder air spilling in, any melted snow may refreeze on roads Saturday night, leading to dangerous travel into at least Sunday, if not into the Monday morning commute in some areas.

Southeast Forecast Lows

Northeast Forecast

Timeline

• Saturday - Saturday night: Snow will spread up the East Coast from the Delmarva peninsula to New Jersey, Long Island and parts of the NYC Tri-State area, Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts. This snow will continue Saturday night in southeast New England, accompanied by strong north to northeast winds, leading to blizzard conditions in eastern Massachusetts.

Snow Forecast Totals

• Best chance for 6 inches or more of snow: Southern Delmarva Peninsula and far southeast New England, including Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, and Martha's Vineyard.
• At least an inch of snow: Southern Maryland, the rest of the Delmarva Peninsula, southern New Jersey, Long Island as far west as NYC, parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, central and eastern Massachusetts, including the Boston metro.

Snowfall Forecast: Winter Storm Helena

West Snow

Snow may linger in the Four Corners higher elevations and adjacent southern High Plains into Friday, but overall it will be winding down.

From Sunday into early Wednesday, parts of the Sierra Nevada picked up more than four feet of snow. The top totals were 56 inches at Boreal and Soda Springs.

 

Snowfall Totals, So Far

Here is a list of the highest snowfall totals, and a few other notable totals, in each state from Helena, as of Thursday evening.

West

California: 56 inches at Boreal and Soda Springs
Colorado: 42.5 inches estimated near Steamboat Springs; around 2 feet in Crested Butte; 4 inches in Denver (DIA)
Idaho: 18 inches in Montpelier; 4.3 inches in Pocatello
Nevada: 30 inches near Incline Village
Oregon: 26 inches in Bly; 20 inches near Bend
​Utah: Up to 24 inches in Providence; up to 8 inches in Logan
Wyoming: 46.8 inches near Encampment at the Old Battle Snotel; 10.1 inches in Cheyenne
Interestingly, a somewhat rarer snow fell all the way to the Oregon coast, including near the Sea Lion Caves.

South

Ice: 
Alabama: 0.20 inches in Butler
Mississippi: 0.30 inches in Meridian

Sleet:
Alabama: 1.0 inch near Chelsea
Arkansas: 0.1 inches near Lake Village
Louisiana: 0.3 inches near Columbia
Mississippi: 0.70 inches near Flowood; 0.50 inches near Clinton
South Carolina: 0.2 inches in Hendersonville

Snow:
Alabama: 1.5 inches near Northport
Arkansas: 3.5 inches near Searcy
Georgia: 2.5 inches near Hiawassee
Mississippi: 3.0 inches in Byhalia
North Carolina: 5.0 inches near Old Fort; 4.5 inches near Hendersonville
South Carolina: 2.0 inches in Mountain Rest
Tennessee: 3.0 inches in Selmer

MORE: Winter Storm Helena Photos