Storm pelting Northeast with rain, snow to usher in pattern change
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 25, 2020 6:09 PM EDT
The same storm system that delivered a deadly blow to the Midwest brought drenching rain across the Interstate 95 corridor late Wednesday night and was bringing a change to snow across northern New England on Thursday.
The snow drought that has persisted through much of the winter from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston will not be broken by this storm.
This image, captured at midday Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2020, shows a large shield of clouds associated with a double-barreled storm system over the eastern half of the United States. (NOAA / GOES-East)
The combined seasonal snowfall in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City is a mere 7.5 inches for this winter, compared to an average of 70.3 inches as of Feb. 26. The winter of 1972-1973 is the benchmark for lean snowfall for much of this swath. For example, that winter brought less than 0.1 of an inch of snow to Philadelphia.
Mild air that built over much of the eastern half of the nation this past weekend will linger held on and was a major deterrent for snow along the Atlantic coast. However, cold air has fought its way across the eastern Great Lakes and the central Appalachians and produced snow in some areas and a freeze-up in others.
The storm brought a line of torrential downpours, gusty winds and, in some cases, thunder and lightning to the mid-Atlantic on Wednesday night. Small hail was reported in parts of central Pennsylvania.
Lightning was detected in the Washington, D.C., area on Wednesday night as the line of downpours and gusty winds swept through the nation's capital. A wind gust of 42 mph was recorded at Reagan National Airport, with several reports of downed trees across the metro area.
Through Thursday, as the storm strengthens and lifts northward, enough cold air will be drawn in to bring a change to snow or snow showers. This changeover occurred from the mountains in West Virginia, western Virginia and western Maryland to western, central and northern Pennsylvania and western and central New York state on Wednesday night.
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East of the Appalachians, from Virginia to New Hampshire, the atmosphere will likely dry out before cold air arrives and the rain will end. Only in coastal areas of Maine might the cold air catch up with the back edge of the rain. This could cause a wintry mix to occur at the tail end of the storm on Thursday.
The burst of rain and wind that swept through parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia on Wednesday night will swing northeastward through southeastern New England on Thursday.
Such a dose of heavy rain and gusty winds can be very disruptive for the commute in Boston and Portland, Maine.
How much snow falls during the storm is likely to depend on the elevation as the heaviest snow, on the order of several inches, will fall over the ridges and plateaus versus the valleys.
The heaviest snow in the northeastern United States will fall over the Adirondacks of New York state and the Green and White Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. These areas can pick up 6-12 inches with locally higher amounts, while an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches (60 centimeters) is most likely over southern Quebec.
As a complicating factor, bands of heavy lake-effect snow and snow squalls are forecast to blend in on the tail end of the storm and continue into the weekend from portions of western Pennsylvania to upstate New York. This lake effect will add to the storm totals, long after the center of the storm has moved on into Canada.
The lake-effect snow will ramp up as temperatures plummet.
"As the temperature dips, motorists and pedestrians should be prepared for changing conditions, as some areas that were initially made wet and slushy from the storm can become icy," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said.
Strong winds on the backside of the storm will continue into the end of the week but can be especially problematic in terms of breaking tree limbs, tossing trash cans and triggering sporadic power outages into Thursday night.
The gusty winds in the wake of the storm will add to the cold feel of the Arctic air.
The gusty winds can also be disruptive for air travel and can lead to low-level flight turbulence in some cases.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Storm pelting Northeast with rain, snow to usher in pattern change
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 25, 2020 6:09 PM EDT
The same storm system that delivered a deadly blow to the Midwest brought drenching rain across the Interstate 95 corridor late Wednesday night and was bringing a change to snow across northern New England on Thursday.
The snow drought that has persisted through much of the winter from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston will not be broken by this storm.
This image, captured at midday Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2020, shows a large shield of clouds associated with a double-barreled storm system over the eastern half of the United States. (NOAA / GOES-East)
The combined seasonal snowfall in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City is a mere 7.5 inches for this winter, compared to an average of 70.3 inches as of Feb. 26. The winter of 1972-1973 is the benchmark for lean snowfall for much of this swath. For example, that winter brought less than 0.1 of an inch of snow to Philadelphia.
Mild air that built over much of the eastern half of the nation this past weekend will linger held on and was a major deterrent for snow along the Atlantic coast. However, cold air has fought its way across the eastern Great Lakes and the central Appalachians and produced snow in some areas and a freeze-up in others.
The storm brought a line of torrential downpours, gusty winds and, in some cases, thunder and lightning to the mid-Atlantic on Wednesday night. Small hail was reported in parts of central Pennsylvania.
Lightning was detected in the Washington, D.C., area on Wednesday night as the line of downpours and gusty winds swept through the nation's capital. A wind gust of 42 mph was recorded at Reagan National Airport, with several reports of downed trees across the metro area.
Through Thursday, as the storm strengthens and lifts northward, enough cold air will be drawn in to bring a change to snow or snow showers. This changeover occurred from the mountains in West Virginia, western Virginia and western Maryland to western, central and northern Pennsylvania and western and central New York state on Wednesday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
East of the Appalachians, from Virginia to New Hampshire, the atmosphere will likely dry out before cold air arrives and the rain will end. Only in coastal areas of Maine might the cold air catch up with the back edge of the rain. This could cause a wintry mix to occur at the tail end of the storm on Thursday.
The burst of rain and wind that swept through parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia on Wednesday night will swing northeastward through southeastern New England on Thursday.
Such a dose of heavy rain and gusty winds can be very disruptive for the commute in Boston and Portland, Maine.
Related:
How much snow falls during the storm is likely to depend on the elevation as the heaviest snow, on the order of several inches, will fall over the ridges and plateaus versus the valleys.
The heaviest snow in the northeastern United States will fall over the Adirondacks of New York state and the Green and White Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. These areas can pick up 6-12 inches with locally higher amounts, while an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches (60 centimeters) is most likely over southern Quebec.
As a complicating factor, bands of heavy lake-effect snow and snow squalls are forecast to blend in on the tail end of the storm and continue into the weekend from portions of western Pennsylvania to upstate New York. This lake effect will add to the storm totals, long after the center of the storm has moved on into Canada.
The lake-effect snow will ramp up as temperatures plummet.
"As the temperature dips, motorists and pedestrians should be prepared for changing conditions, as some areas that were initially made wet and slushy from the storm can become icy," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said.
Strong winds on the backside of the storm will continue into the end of the week but can be especially problematic in terms of breaking tree limbs, tossing trash cans and triggering sporadic power outages into Thursday night.
The gusty winds in the wake of the storm will add to the cold feel of the Arctic air.
The gusty winds can also be disruptive for air travel and can lead to low-level flight turbulence in some cases.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo