April snow is in the forecast for a great deal of the Northeast along with a soggy cold rain as a series of storm systems move across the northern U.S. this weekend. This will bring the potential for strong winds and wintry weather from the Great Lakes to New England through Friday and Saturday according the National Weather Service.
The Weather Channel predicts that most areas will see less than 6 inches of snow through late Saturday night, though moderate snow accumulations are expected from the northern Great Lakes to parts of the mid-Atlantic states generally north and west of I-95.
Given the track of offshore low pressure, little or no accumulations are expected in most of New England.
The best chance for locally more than 6 inches of snow through Saturday will be across the higher terrain of West Virginia and far western Maryland.
Numerous showers and thunderstorms will bring welcomed drought relief over parts of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico over the next few days. The heaviest precipitation is expected over the Sierra Nevada mountains, where snow is likely at the highest elevations.
By Scott Malone and Valerie Vande Panne
BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts, New Hampshire and upstate New York braced for up to 6 inches (15 cm) of snow on Monday as forecasters warned that winter weather would overtake the area even as spring entered its second week.
Police warned motorists to slow down and some schools opened late in the area as the storm blew in during the morning commute and threatened to linger through the evening rush hour, with temperatures holding around 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-3.9°C).
Some harried travelers said they were ready for the climate to catch up with the calendar.
“It’s freezing. I’m tired. It’s April,” Carolyn Thomson, 45, said as she rushed to her job at a downtown Boston financial firm. “It should be over by now. I’m worried about getting my son to school on time. I’m late for work.”
While National Weather Service forecasters said the snow would continue to accumulate through the day, forecasts called for a return to warmer weather by Wednesday, suggesting the white coating would be short-lived.
Following an unusually mild winter, which followed Boston’s record-setting 9 feet (2.74 m) of snow during the winter of 2014-15, one man who makes his living cleaning up after storms said he liked the late storm.
“It’s New England. I’m very happy. It’s overtime,” Pablo Guerrero, a 44-year-old maintenance worker, said as he shoveled a downtown sidewalk. “Last year it was better.”
(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Bill Trott)
Forecasters say that another arctic blast is going to drive temperatures in the northeast to frigid levels.
This week temperatures rose into the 50s or higher for most of the northeast with Philadelphia reaching the 60s and Washington DC into the 70s on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, the cities will see temperatures in the 20s.
Officials are warning drivers that roads which have been wet or slushy because of melting snow and ice from recent storms will quickly freeze in the early morning hours because of the rapid temperate fall. The possibility of dangerous conditions for early morning commutes have many communities encouraging people to plan extra time to head to work or school.
A spokesman for Accuweather said the sudden cold after the unusually high temperatures could bring unexpected problems including broken water mains. The possibility also exists that roadways will crack from the conditions and create more potholes than usual.
The latest winter storm to hit the East Coast has helped raise record levels of snow.
In Philadelphia, the snowfall Tuesday raised this winter’s total to the third highest in the history of the city. Officials said the snowfall level was surprising because only one of the 13 winter storms that brought snowfall reached more than one foot of snow, although 11 storms with more than one inch of snow ties two other winter seasons since recordkeeping began in the 1800s.
Another 2-4 inches is possible on Wednesday before temperatures will rise into the 40s.
In New York, the storm brought enough snow to raise the amount of February snowfall to 28 inches, more than the average snowfall for the entire winter season in Central Park. The overall snowfall total is the seventh highest in New York City history.
New Jersey officials who had been facing a shortage of road salt decided to stop waiting on the Department of Homeland Security to give a waiver for an international barge to bring salt from Maine and have found an American barge which is heading to Maine.
Several state officials are investigating price gouging, trying to increase aid to low-income customers, and taking action against vendors due to propane shortages.
Midwestern and Southern residents are struggling to keep warm with the rising prices or supply cutoffs from propane distributors.
A major propane supplier in Kentucky was forced to stop delivering to commercial customers in several states after Kentucky’s attorney general was given an injunction against the company.
Missouri’s Justice Department and was asked by lawmakers to investigate rising propane prices. Missouri’s attorney general will be helping in the investigation as well.
A letter detailing concerns and actions of dealers was released by the Missouri Propane Association.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the northeast were without power on Wednesday morning after another major winter storm struck a wide area.
Reuters reported that over 550,000 people across the upper Midwest and northeast were in the dark Wednesday morning and it was likely the number would rise throughout the day as the storm continued to move east.
Up to a foot of snow is expected to fall along the East Coast. New York could receive up to 6 inches of snow and upper New York could see anywhere from 5 to 16 inches according to the National Weather Service.
Over 2,400 flights nationwide have been canceled because of the storm.
The storm is a second blast in week for the area. Last Monday a storm dumped heavy, wet snow over much of the same region.
Parts of the lower northeast are reportedly expecting a layer of ice to form on top of the snowfall making travel even more hazardous.
Another polar blast is heading toward the eastern United States and could bring heavy snow to the northeast.
The storm through the day Tuesday is predicted to bring up to 12 inches of snow to the eastern seaboard from Virginia to Massachusetts. The storm will also bring heavy winds that could cause snowdrifts, poor travel conditions and downed power lines.
The Federal Government shut offices for Tuesday in preparation for the storm’s arrival. Forecast models called for 6 to 10 inches in the capital.
In addition to the snow and winds, the storm will bring cold temperatures far into the south. Forecasters call for lows in the teens from towns as far south as Memphis, Tennessee through the entire northern part of the country.
Temperatures across the eastern U.S. could be as much as 25 degrees lower than normal for this time of year.
Government officials throughout the northeast U.S. are telling residents to “stock up” on supplies and to prepare for extended power outages as a massive winter storm moves into the region.
The National Weather Service says two separate weather systems are combining over New England and says the storm could be “historic.” The storm will start Friday and is not expected to peak until Saturday morning somewhere over Massachusetts. Continue reading →
An unusual April snowstorm covered parts of the northeastern US with as much as 16 inches of snow. Weather forecasters are reporting that the storm could bring record snowfall for many communities.
The snow is described as “heavy and wet” which is causing cities to prepare for power outages and downed tress. A member of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Public Works department told KDKA-TV that they have a forestry division on standby for tree problems and issues. Continue reading →