If you live on the East Coast of the United States or were planning to visit this week, you may want to change your plans as the biggest snowstorm in years is set to cause havoc at airports up and down Interstate 95. Meteorologists have issued a winter storm watch and advisories for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest snowstorms the Northeast has seen in years. Even with the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic limiting travel, the storm, which is still to take shape fully, could be disruptive to many people’s travel plans and distributing the first round of coronavirus vaccines.
AccuWeather’s team of weather experts is growing ever confident that a mega-storm will cripple parts of the Northeast as it dumps over two feet of snow on the region between Tuesday and Thursday. The large winter storm will cover a sizable part of the East with snow expected to fall from Southern Illinois to the Canadian Atlantic. Metropolitan areas that could see airports close include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
Mid-Atlantic to see heavy snow
A fast-moving storm system that raced off of the East Coast on Monday has left behind a swath of cold air setting the stage for significant ice and snow across large portions of the East. Late Wednesday, an earlier ice event for the Appalachians, will intensify dumping a large accumulation of snow on the Mid-Atlantic states. The wind will also pick up, causing localized blizzard conditions at times.
When speaking about how the storm is developing and what might occur, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said:
“The swath of heaviest snow and highest snowfall accumulation is dependent on the exact track of the storm, and small changes in where the storm tracks can lead to big changes in the amounts of snowfall for a given location,” Roys explained.
“However, with a track near the mid-Atlantic and New England Coast looking more likely, the probability of the heaviest snow targeting parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England is also increasing.”
“While we continue to monitor trends, residents in the East need to pay close attention to the forecast over the next few days,” Roys warned. “This storm has the potential to be highly disruptive for a large number of people.”
More snow than all of last winter
Forecasters predict that the storm could dump more snow than was seen all last winter in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C., where a normal winter season sees an accumulation of between 18 and 24 inches. Last year taking New York City as an example, only 4.8 inches of snow were measured in Central Park for the entire winter. Typically the Central Park weather observation site sees around 25 inches of snow each winter season.
White Christmas
For many people dreaming of a white Christmas, they may get their wish as even though the storm is set to arrive before the holidays, an accumulation of snow this large will not have enough time to melt.
“Where the heaviest snowfalls, occur it could leave a thick-enough blanket of snow to last all the way until Christmas,” Roys said.
“Overall, a chillier pattern looks to last until Christmas, so if any locales get around a foot or more of snow, it could be enough to last until Christmas. It could also turn a bit more active again Christmas week, so some spots could even add a little more snow before the holiday.”
This certainly looks as though it could develop into a major event, which means if you live on the East Coast and need to go anywhere by air, you had better leave today while the airports are still open.
Were you planning to fly over the next couple of days? If so, please tell us if you still plan to try or cancel your flight until the storm passes.