A winter storm that will intensify into a bomb cyclone is lashing the northeastern part OURwith several states dealing with heavy snowfall and related disturbances.
According to CNN, more than 55 million people across the US, or more than 16% of the country’s population, are currently under winter weather warnings.
Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for several parts of the northeastern US, including areas in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and New York.
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Snowfall has increased to an inch per hour in parts of the Northeast and threatens to blanket entire communities.
CNN also reported that St Louis broke the snowfall record that was set nearly a century ago in 1937.
What is the forecast for the east coast?
However, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), the major cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC appear to escape the full intensity of the storm, with most of the winter weather warnings falling north of those urban centers.
A screenshot from the NWS warning system showing the areas most affected by the winter storm.(NWS)Read also | Winter storm disrupts Thanksgiving travel: Chicago O’Hare hit with record snow
Although major cities on the East Coast are expected to see cold rain, there is still a slight chance of snow.
“The line of rain versus snow is expected to move closer to the Interstate 95 corridor Tuesday morning. A slight shift in the storm track farther offshore could help draw in enough cold air to bring snow to places like Philadelphia, New York City and Boston,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
Interiors see heavy snowfall
Interiors are a different story, however: people traveling along highways from Maryland into central Pennsylvania can expect to see snow, with snowfall getting heavier as you move inland, with some areas expecting 6 to 12 inches of snow.
Inland areas, from western Massachusetts to Vermont, New Hampshire and parts of Maine, could see 6 inches or more.
Meanwhile, icy conditions remain a concern for higher elevations in Virginia and West Virginia.
“Just on the other side of the line of rain and snow, where colder air prevails, a zone of 3-6 inches of snow is possible in eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and across parts of New England,” Buckingham added.
AccuWeather also said a narrow zone near the rain-snow line could experience a brief period of sleet or freezing rain, with the eastern Appalachians and ridge-and-valley region from western Virginia to southern Pennsylvania most susceptible.
“Slippery roads will be possible in this zone, including Roanoke, Virginia,” the weather forecast platform said.
