US East Coast bomb cyclone could bring heaviest snow in decades to North Carolina
A storm will rapidly strengthen along the East Coast this weekend, delivering heavy snow from the Carolinas to New England, with blizzard conditions likely in the hardest-hit areas. Coastal flooding is anticipated.
A storm will rapidly intensify along the mid-Atlantic coast this Saturday, likely evolving into a blizzard for parts of the coast between North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Massachusetts
A storm will rapidly intensify along the Atlantic Coast of the United States this weekend and is forecast to bring heavy snow to parts of the Southeast and a close call with snow along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. The powerful storm will raise winds and seas, leading to significant coastal flooding and beach erosion. Blizzard conditions are also likely in the hardest-hit areas.
As snow impacts major airport hubs from Charlotte to Boston this weekend, airline delays will mount, and travel along portions of interstates 95, 85, 81, 77, 64 and 40 may slow to a standstill.
The storm, in all its fury in the Carolinas and southern Virginia, would be a formidable event for states in the northern tier from Maine to Michigan and Minnesota, with the combination of significant snow, cold conditions, and blowing and drifting of snow on the ground.
Storm to take shape in Southeast Friday
As the storm develops Friday in the southern U.S., spotty rain will break out along the Gulf coast, the Florida Peninsula and the southern Atlantic coast. Farther inland over Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas, patches of snow or a mixture of rain and snow will unfold.
In Nashville, which was hard-hit by the snow and ice storm last weekend, the new winter storm will unfold Friday afternoon and evening and continue into Saturday, with up to a few inches of snow forecast.
As the storm strengthens from Friday night into Saturday, the extent and intensity of snow and wintry mix will increase across Georgia and the Carolinas, transitioning to all or mostly snow.
Atlanta will be on the southwestern edge of moderate to heavy snow forecast for northeast Georgia from late Friday night to Saturday evening. Atlanta is expected to receive a coating of an inch with a quick freeze-up that will create hazardous conditions and lead to airline delays and flight cancellations.
There is a very high chance that at least an inch of snow will fall on much of North Carolina, northern South Carolina and southern Virginia from late Friday through Saturday. Even an inch of snow in this part of the nation can create major travel problems.
For cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, North Carolina, this could be the biggest snowstorm in decades. In Norfolk, Virginia, it could top last February's whopping 11.1 inches.
In Charlotte, the most recent benchmark storm was 3.5 inches on Jan. 17, 2018, and this weekend's storm is well within reach. Going farther back, a storm in late February 2004 was one of the biggest on record, with 13.2 inches falling. In late January 2003, a storm brought 8.5 inches.
In Raleigh, a storm brought 7 inches on Dec. 9, 2018, and could easily be eclipsed by this weekend's storm. The biggest snowstorm on record occurred in late January 2000, when 20.3 inches of snow fell. In early January 2002, a storm brought 10.8 inches.
Several inches of snow are forecast across much of North Carolina and southern Virginia. The greatest chance of the storm bringing 6 inches or more in the Southeastern states will extend from north-central North Carolina to southeastern Virginia and the southern part of the Delmarva Peninsula.
Blizzard conditions are likely in some areas due to strong winds and low visibility as the evolving nor'easter intensifies into a bomb cyclone.
For those not familiar with the official definition of a blizzard, it is accumulating or blowing snow producing a visibility of one-quarter mile or less, combined with sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or greater for at least three consecutive hours. Like bomb cyclone, blizzard is not a term used lightly in the meteorological community.
Storm to rapidly strengthen, become a bomb cyclone Saturday
As the storm reaches the southern Atlantic coast Saturday, it will rapidly strengthen to what meteorologists call a bomb cyclone. This rapidly strengthening storm experiences an atmospheric pressure drop of 0.71 of an inch of mercury (24 millibars) or more in 24 hours or less.
Strong winds, coastal flooding are coming this weekend
Where strong winds push water shoreward along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to New England, tide levels will surge, creating coastal flooding.
Adding to this impact over the weekend will be the proximity of the full moon and normally higher astronomical tides. Because of this, many areas may experience water levels 2-4 feet higher than what would normally occur without a storm.
Locations such as Norfolk, Virginia; North Carolina's Outer Banks; the Wildwoods of New Jersey; and Scituate, Massachusetts, may be flooded, with the worst conditions around high tide this weekend.
Close call with heavy snow and dry air in Northeast
The track of the storm relative to the coast will not only determine how much snow falls in the Southeast from Friday to Saturday, but also how far inland from the coast that heavy snow can penetrate in the mid-Atlantic and New England from Saturday to Sunday as the storm spins over the Atlantic.
AccuWeather meteorologists believe the most likely zone in the Northeast for 3-6 inches of snow will be in southeastern Massachusetts, with 1-3 inches of snow in store for Boston and portions of coastal Maine.
Along Interstate 95 from northern Virginia to New York City, it will be a battle between dry air to the north and west and Atlantic moisture to the south and east.
Instead of I-95 being the approximate dividing line between rain, ice and snow, it will be the boundary between accumulating snow and practically no snow at all.
Similar to southeastern Virginia, blizzard conditions may unfold over southeastern Massachusetts, with this storm as a powerful nor'easter.
Arctic air to be fortified following nor'easter
In the wake of the storm, Arctic air will surge southward and eastward once again, sending frosts and freezes deep into Florida and many areas of the continental eastern half of the U.S. back into the deep freeze for days.
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