Nor’easter Expected To Bring Heavy Snow And Strong Winds To East Coast

Topline

A major Nor’easter will hit the East Coast Monday night and last into Wednesday with two or more inches of snow falling per hour and strong winds that are likely to bring travel delays from Boston to New York, forecasters say.

Key Facts

Upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of New England are expected to see the most snowfall, with the National Weather Service (NWS) predicting between 24 to 30 inches.

The fast falling snow and strong winds, up to 50 miles per hour, will produce “dangerous to impossible” travel conditions, as well as widespread power outages and tree damage for much of New England, New York and northern Pennsylvania, NWS warns.

Because of the high tide, some areas like southern Connecticut and Long Island, New York, could experience some coastal flooding on Tuesday, the Weather Channel said.

Governors along the East Coast are warning people to prepare for the storm, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted that residents should get supplies now because in these conditions “one & half feet of snow will feel like three.”

Key Background

This storm began last week in California and moved its way across the country. On the West Coast the storm caused flooding in lower elevations, and large snow totals in higher elevations, including in the Sierra Nevadas, where more than 18 inches of snow fell in some places, according to On The Snow, a site that measures snow totals at ski sites in the area. When the storm gets to the east coast Monday evening and meets with winds already in the area, it will be a much stronger storm with gusty winds. Nor’easters are not uncommon this time of year, and historically bring large snow totals, heavy winds and severe damage. In 2016, the East Coast was slammed by a nor’easter that spanned from Arkansas to Massachusetts. Eleven states and Washington D.C. declared states of emergency, more than 13,000 flights were canceled and 48 people died as a result of the storm, the Associated Press reported.

Further Reading

What Is A Nor’easter, Exactly? (New York Times)

‘Potent’ Nor’easter To Bring Heavy Snow, Forecasters Say (New York Times)

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/03/13/noreaster-expected-to-bring-heavy-snow-and-strong-winds-to-east-coast/