A powerful nor'easter affected parts of the East Coast on Saturday, bringing the region's first major winter storm of the year and tons of snow, wind and freezing rain.
Heavy snow fell across Pennsylvania and western Maryland on Saturday afternoon, with about 1 to 2 inches falling per hour, making roads slippery.
“This is a really attractive storm system,” said FOX Weather Winter Storm Specialist Tom Niziol. “It's going to pack a punch.”
A widespread winter storm warning is in effect as several inches of snow is expected in parts of the Mid-Atlantic Interior, Northeast and New England regions, including Boston and north of I-95. .
In total, about 35 million Americans from Virginia to Maine are under winter weather warnings.
West of I-95, temperatures will be cold enough for all the precipitation to turn into snow, accumulating from Pennsylvania to New England.
The biggest winners from the storm will be upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and New England, where the heavy snow lasts the longest.
Parts of upstate New York saw more than 6 inches of snow, including Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, Manchester, New Hampshire, Hartford, Connecticut, Albany, New York, Providence, Rhode Island, and Scranton, Pennsylvania. There is a high possibility that And inland New England will probably get a foot of snow by the time it's all done Sunday.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was among the areas that last experienced significant snowfall on January 25, 2023, ending a nearly year-long continuous traffic downturn.
“I'm so glad it's snowing,” said Chris Reese, owner of Cannon Coffee in Hagerstown, Maryland. “My kids are so young that I feel like my youngest hasn't even experienced real snow in years. Growing up here, we've had heavy snowstorms. . And I remember jumping off the first floor roof of the kitchen onto this giant pile of snow. I'm looking forward to the kids experiencing some decent snow this year.”
While it's fun for those at home, winter weather keeps snowplow drivers busy.
“We're doing everything we can to clear the snow for you,” said Keith, a member of Hagerstown Public Works' snow removal crew. “It would be best if you could stay home so we can try to resolve the situation as quickly as possible for you. The less traffic, the faster we can get to work. You can finish.”
“Going into Sunday, we'll see a second, smaller energy influx into this system, and how the daytime winds on Sunday will change to a more northeasterly orbit,” Niziol said. “If that happens, cold air from northern New England will slide south and bring heavy snow to the region by Sunday afternoon. That's going to be significant.”
The snow is expected to be wet and heavy, rather than dry and powdery. Heavy snow and strong winds may cause fallen trees and power outages.
New York and Philadelphia likely to miss out on snow
Meanwhile, areas such as New York City and Philadelphia will see a flurry of snowflakes on Saturday, but coastal areas south of New York City will see snowfall, if at all, due to ocean effects that will bring water temperatures into the 40s and 50s. , you won't see that many.
“The I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia is too warm for heavy snow,” Niziol said.
This means Philadelphia and Baltimore could continue their current streak of not getting an inch of snow.
Weather stations around New York City, including Central Park, received less than a quarter of an inch of snow before mixed precipitation began.
As of Saturday evening, the heaviest snowfall was over the Appalachian Mountains, which make up Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
As expected, many areas saw more than half a foot of snow.
Snowfall observations throughout the storm system will continue to increase as it moves east, impacting cities in the Northeast and New England.
