World

Storm Expected to Bring Heavy, Wet Snow to Northeast

An early spring storm is expected to bring heavy snow to the interior Northeast, particularly New York, on Monday into Tuesday, raising the potential for downed trees, power interruptions and difficult travel, forecasters said.

In New York State, which is expected to get the brunt of the storm, snowfall of up to six inches is possible in some northern counties, according to the National Weather Service.

A mix of rain and snow was expected to spread into much of Central New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania on Monday evening, and change to snow in many areas before tapering Tuesday morning, forecasters said.

The Weather Prediction Center said on Twitter on Sunday night that snowfall totals of greater than 4 inches are likely above 2,000 feet in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire. Those areas include the Adirondack, Catskill, Poconos, Green and White Mountain ranges.

The highest ranges could get more than 10 inches, with some snow rates exceeding an inch an hour, the center said.

“Hazardous travel conditions may develop due to the slushy, snow-covered roads,” the center said.

Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Binghamton, N.Y., said on Sunday that one of the greatest concerns was that the storm was expected to bring heavy, wet snow.

“That’s the kind of stuff that can bring down trees because it does weigh so heavily on them,” Ms. Chapman said. “So, you will be looking at your risk for power outages, and it’s also a little more difficult to shovel.”

The Weather Service issued a winter storm watch — indicating conditions are favorable for a winter storm — for northern Wayne County in Pennsylvania, and Chenango, Delaware, Madison, Oneida, Otsego and Sullivan Counties in New York. The watch said snow could make travel “very difficult,” and that those in the watch area should be prepared for power failures.

“Bottom line is that we’re looking at the potential for some pretty impactful weather,” Ms. Chapman said.

Although exact amounts of snowfall were unclear, Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, said it was unlikely the storm would produce record-breaking snowfall in places like Delaware and Sullivan Counties, in the Catskills, and Otsego County in Central New York.

“I don’t think that the amounts are too significant for an April event,” Mr. Weiss said. “We typically do get a late-season snowfall up there, so I don’t think this is out of the realm of normalcy.”

As the storm moves east on Monday, the effects are not expected to be as significant as in New York.

In Central Massachusetts, the storm is expected to bring widespread rain and wet snow late on Monday night and into Tuesday, said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Boston.

“It’s not going to be a winter storm for us,” Mr. Dunham said, referring to those in the Boston area.

The storm is unlikely to significantly affect runners in the Boston Marathon on Monday. They can expect partly cloudy skies with highs in the low 50s before rain moves into the area after about 9 p.m., according to the Weather Service in Boston.

Ms. Chapman said that it is not uncommon to get a snowstorm in April, but she added that those in the Northeast may not have an appetite for snow in the spring.

“After we’ve had such pretty nice weather, I think maybe people are probably not really in the mood at this point for it or ready to deal with it,” Ms. Chapman said. “Just be prepared to maybe have to shovel and for a sloppy commute possibly.”

Related Articles

Back to top button