Forecast Predicts Nor’easter, Snow, and Storms Across New England Until Tuesday

Nor Easter Storm

A swiftly advancing storm traversing the eastern United States poses significant disruptions to travel across the Northeast until Tuesday, with widespread heavy snowfall anticipated in various regions.

The Weather Prediction Center’s forecast outlines the trajectory of the storm, predicting extensive heavy snowfall across northern Pennsylvania and southern New York late Monday, followed by southern New England on Tuesday morning. Of particular concern is Boston, the largest city in the storm’s path, where forecasts suggest the possibility of up to a foot of snow. Consequently, schools in Boston are set to remain closed on Tuesday. The likelihood of snow accumulation exceeding 8 inches ranges from 70% to 90% along a swath encompassing the Pennsylvania/New York border and extending across most of Massachusetts.

Even before its arrival in the Northeast, the storm had already made its mark across several Southern states on Monday, triggering winter storm advisories and warnings across portions of Oklahoma, northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, and northern Kentucky. Notably, Plainview, Texas, experienced significant snowfall, with reports indicating up to 14 inches of snow.

The precise areas within New England expected to bear the brunt of the storm’s impact will become clearer as the system evolves, according to David Roth, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. Although an intensifying Nor’easter along the coast is projected to cause moderate coastal flooding at high tide along the Jersey shore and segments of the New England coast, the storm’s rapid movement mitigates the risk of unprecedented events. Roth remarks, “This doesn’t have the hallmarks of a record event.”

While rain and wind are forecast in southern Louisiana, these conditions are expected to dissipate in time to avoid substantial disruptions to Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans.

In addition to snowfall concerns, areas across the southern Appalachians and the southern mid-Atlantic face the prospect of excessive rainfall, posing a risk of local flash flooding. A new low-pressure system forming over North Carolina will traverse the mid-Atlantic, with the trajectory determining the severity of the storm’s impact.

Roth highlights Boston as the major city likely to be affected, with a slight chance of impact closer to New York City. Onshore winds may exacerbate coastal flooding risks by pushing ocean waters into inland rivers.

The storms’ enhanced rainfall is attributed to the convergence of moisture from both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Roth underscores the role of warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, which have contributed to increased rainfall associated with weather systems originating from the Pacific this winter.

Overall, the evolving weather patterns underscore the complex interplay of atmospheric conditions contributing to the storm’s trajectory and impact across the eastern United States. As communities brace for inclement weather and potential disruptions, meteorologists continue to monitor the evolving situation to provide timely forecasts and warnings to safeguard public safety and infrastructure.

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