The National Weather Service is forecasting first-ever conditions across the Northeast and New England, including Boston and Providence, ahead of the possibility of a nor’easter that could dump plowable snow on millions of people in the region starting Monday. Winter storm warnings have begun.
More than 20 million Americans across the region were under a winter storm watch as weather forecasters began focusing on computer prediction models that indicated the potential for a devastating winter storm.
However, once these models began to match, it was decided to begin upgrading winter weather warnings to winter storm warnings.
As of Sunday afternoon, a winter storm warning extended from parts of Pennsylvania and New York to Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The winter storm warning includes cities such as Scranton in Pennsylvania and Binghamton, Elmira and Monticello in New York.
Hartford, Connecticut, is among the cities under a winter storm warning, along with Providence, Rhode Island, Springfield, Boston, and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Record warmth was reported across the Northeast and New England over the weekend, as a storm system that could eventually develop into the Northeast develops across the central United States.
The system is responsible for severe weather, including the possibility of large hail and tornadoes in Texas, and heavy snow across the Texas Panhandle and into Oklahoma.
It will continue eastward across the southern United States, potentially bringing severe weather and flooding once again to the Deep South, before moving northeast by Tuesday.
Moderate to heavy snow begins to fall on Tuesday.
Temperatures on Monday will be warm enough that the storm could start as rain across the mid-Atlantic states.
But as this system continues to move northeast and eventually move away from the East Coast, it will begin to pull in colder air from the north and Canada, turning precipitation into snow.
Boston Globe (via Getty Images)
“The storm itself, its location, its movement, its path, there’s still a little bit of question in terms of how it’s going to move,” said FOX Weather meteorologist Craig Herrera.
Widespread snow is expected to fall in parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine by early Tuesday morning.
It will also snow in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
That means the morning commute for millions of people heading to work on Tuesday will be extremely difficult and dangerous.
At that point, schools in the area will likely be closed as the possibility of a nor’easter begins to increase.
Snow will continue to fall throughout the day Tuesday and could begin to move away from the area during the evening commute.
How much snow does it fall during a nor’easter?
This storm could bring plowable snow to the Northeast and interior New England.
“Massachusetts, we’re going to see a lot of snow,” Herrera said. “Actually, you might be getting blamed for this.”
Snow totals are about 5 to 8 inches in most parts of the region, but millions of people are at risk of receiving up to a foot of snow, especially in Worcester Hills, Massachusetts, and Boston. Locally more snow is possible.
Providence is also at risk of seeing significant amounts of snowfall with the possibility of a nor’easter.
Snowfall totals of 8 to 12 inches are also possible in northeastern Pennsylvania and New York’s Catskill Mountains.
The FOX Prediction Center said the exact path of the low pressure system and its strength will be key factors in determining how much snow will fall and where.
fox weather
The main route for the heavy snow is expected to pass through northern Pennsylvania and southern New York, reaching southern New England by Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
One point on the map that meteorologists look at when determining snowfall totals is the so-called “40/70 datum,” located at 40 degrees north latitude and 70 degrees west longitude.
And a difference of just 80 miles east or west of that “sweet spot” can mean an inch or two of snow or more than a foot.
As the storm approaches, computer forecast models become better able to predict whether the center of the storm’s path will be near the 40/70 control point, ultimately giving meteorologists more confidence in their forecasts. Masu.
Snow isn’t the only thing meteorologists are worried about.
The NWS office in Boston said coastal flooding is a concern along Massachusetts’ east coast, given the potential for astronomical storm surge and damaging winds.
Power outages are also a concern as the snow is heavy and wet and could bring down tree branches and power lines.
