The Northeast U.S. Winter Storm System Ends a Record Snow-Driven Snowstorm on Saturday Night, and Traffic Conditions Will Vary Between 10 inches and 15 inches
A winter storm bore down on parts of the Northeast U.S. on Saturday, as New England braced for the next brunt of the snow on Sunday. This is just a glimpse of what is forecast to be a much stronger storm that will cause a lot of havoc in the coming days, with the potential for snow to fall not seen in many years in the region.
As the snow shifts northeast through Sunday afternoon, the Appalachian Mountains, the interior Northeast and New England could see up to a foot of snow in several areas, the NWS said in a Saturday night advisory. The slopes of the Berkshires, Worcester Hills, and portions of northeast Massachusetts may get as much as 15 inches.
Similar icy conditions are bound for parts of North Carolina, where a mix of snow and sleet will begin to fall Friday and turn into freezing rain early Saturday. The NWS issued a winter storm warning for several counties on Saturday.
According to the NWS, the most disastrous winter weather storms have been the result of freezing rain. It occurs when snowflakes fall through a warm layer of air and then a cold batch of air. The whiplash in temperatures causes water droplets to instantly freeze upon contact with a surface, whether it’s the ground, trees or power lines.
It is expected that parts of central and northeastern Georgia will see some freezing rain on Saturday, which may cause hazardous road conditions and power outages.
The bulk of the winter storm system will cross through Pennsylvania starting late morning to early afternoon Saturday, according to Sonya Lewis, a NWS meteorologist in State College, Pa.
Central Pennsylvania, which was due for the state’s highest amount of snowfall into Saturday evening, ended a record 346-day snow drought by the afternoon. The town of Hollidaysburg, between Pittsburgh and State College, had recorded the most snowfall in the past 24 hours at 7.5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS afternoon advisory stated that hazardous travel conditions were affecting a lot of the region. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation urged the public to postpone unnecessary travel.
