The National Weather Service has already issued a blizzard watch for Washington, D.C., New York City, and parts of Long Island and New Jersey.
Advertisement
The word “blizzard” can get overused.
The heaviest of the snow is expected Friday night into Saturday.
At the top of Washington’s snowfall list is the “Knickerbocker Storm” of 1922, which dumped 28 inches and killed almost 100 people when the roof of a theater by that name collapsed under the weight of the snow. If that forecast holds, Mayor Marty Walsh said Thursday that he would lend Bowser two new truck-mounted snow blowers to help clear the capital’s streets. As much as a foot of snow is possible for Philadelphia’s northern suburbs.
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and the city of Washington DC have already declared states of emergency.
Saturday night, 6 p.m – early morning: Snow continues falling at a lighter rate until the early morning hours, tapering off shortly after daybreak. Along with D.C., the governors of Maryland and Virginia have declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.
“I would suggest that people pay attention to this system”, said Louis Uccellini, the director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.
Major travel impacts are expected Friday, and it could last into Saturday as temperatures are expected to remain below freezing until Sunday afternoon.
Winds could also be severe across the East Coast over the weekend, potentially reaching up to 60 miles per hour in the New York City area and the New York Times has warned of potential whiteout conditions in the city Saturday night. The National Weather Service puts snowfall total for the Big Apple at 11 inches, with a minimum of 2 inches, and a maximum of 20 inches.
New York Mayor Bill De Blasio has said he doesn’t expect the storm to shut down subway service. He expects to see some NOAA staff “sleeping in the offices during the event” and “many students out there working on their theses about this storm”. “Strong winds may down power lines and tree limbs”. At least 1 foot of snow is likely from eastern Kentucky into most of West Virginia.
According to Karins, an ice storm will begin in the Carolinas on Friday.
Although it appears that most of CT will avoid a direct hit from the first major snowstorm of 2016, the rest of the East Coast may not be so lucky this weekend, and heavy snow totals expected in several major cities could affect travel throughout the region. But officials said travel will be impacted and families should prepare for potential power outages.
New York’s three airports will see all Saturday afternoon American flights canceled with flights resuming on Sunday.
Advertisement
On Sunday, the snow will exit the hardest hit region of West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, with strong gusty winds along the coastal Northeast.
