Winter Storm Theseus Brings April Fools' Snow, Ice To Parts of the Northeast

Linda Lam
Published: April 1,2017
Winter Storm Theseus is bringing a swath of accumulating snow and ice to parts of the Northeast – a cruel April Fools' joke from Mother Nature.
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But this forecast calls for nothing like the epic April Fools' Day Blizzard that brought feet of snow to the region 20 years ago.
As of early Saturday afternoon, 19.0 inches has fallen in Washington, New Hampshire and 15.8 inches has accumulated near Rochester, Vermont. Scroll below for more snow reports.

Current Radar, Temperatures, Conditions

Rain and snow showers will linger in parts of New England through Saturday evening.
An area of low pressure has intensified off the Northeast coast. This system has plenty of moisture associated with it from the western Atlantic, which has helped to enhance the heavy rain and snow in the region.
This low-pressure system is expected to pull away from the Northeast by Saturday night.

An area of low pressure will intensify off the Northeast coast, enhancing rain and snow through Saturday.

Enough cold air is in place over interior New England and portions of upstate New York, for snow and some sleet accumulation to occur.
(MORE: This Was Your Coldest Temperature of Winter 2016-17)
Given the time of year and the onshore easterly wind expected, some parts of southern New England may see little to no accumulating snow because temperatures likely will remain above freezing. This may also help to minimize the impact on roads in many areas.

Snow and Ice Reports

Here are selected snowfall and ice reports through early Saturday afternoon:

• Connecticut: 4.0 inches of snow in Acton; 012 inches of ice in Tolland
• Maine: 13.4 inches in Steep Falls; 12.7 inches in Gray (NWS office)
• Massachusetts: 8.7 inches in Ashburnham; 2.0 inches of sleet in Barre; 0.25 inches of ice in Rutland
• New Hampshire: 19.0 inches in Washington; 12.0 inches in Concord
• New York: 8.5 inches in Elizabethtown and near Keene Valley; 0.10 inches of ice in Lake Pleasant
• Pennsylvania: 0.13 inches of ice at the Pocono Mountains Airport
• Vermont: 15.8 inches near Rochester; 13.0 inches in Killington

Nantucket reported a gust of 65 mph on Saturday and a  wind gust of 62 mph was measured in East Falmouth, Massachusetts.

April Fools' Day Blizzard Was 20 Years Ago

This snowfall in the Northeast is not the first time for such an occurrence on April Fools' Day.
In 1997, heavy snow buried portions of central and southern New England into the Catskills of New York and the Poconos of Pennsylvania from March 31 to April 1.

Snowfall accumulation map from Mar. 31- Apr. 1, 1997.
(NOAA)

The low-pressure system moved over the Ohio Valley and than quickly intensified off the Northeast coast. This system moved slowly, which resulted in an extended period of heavy snow. Thundersnow was reported and snow fell at rates of up to 3 inches per hour.
It was a heavy, wet snow that was accompanied by strong winds. This damaged trees and brought down powerlines.
(MORE: Extreme Winter Storms That Struck in Spring)
After reaching a high of 63 degrees on March 30, Boston then saw 25.4 inches of snow during the storm. More than a foot of snow fell as far south as Providence, which measured 18.0 inches.
Worcester received 33.0 inches from this snowstorm. This set a record at the time for most snow in a snowstorm, but that record was broken with Winter Storm Juno in January 2015.
Snow totals of up to 3 feet were reported, including in Milford, Massachusetts, and East Jewitt, New York.

MORE: Winter Storm Stella, March 2017 (PHOTOS)

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