A northeast storm is expected to bring heavy snowfall to parts of the northeastern United States overnight Monday into Tuesday, the New York Times (NYT) reported, citing meteorologists.
The winter storm, forecasters said, will bring more than a foot of snow to some areas like New York and the Poconos starting Monday evening.
The pre-Easter storm is also likely to bring a mix of ice and snow to several other states, from northeast Oklahoma east through the Ohio Valley, creating hazardous driving conditions.
Parts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont are expected to get at least six inches of snow by Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.
They predicted the heaviest snowfall for the Poconos through Downeast Maine, where five to ten inches of snow could fall. Higher elevation areas are likely to see more than a foot of snow, the weather agency said.
The NYT report said much of the storm is expected to reach the northeastern U.S. later Monday after the system develops over the Gulf Coast states and moves up the East Coast.
Freezing rain warning
Freezing rain is expected in Oklahoma and Arkansas, which could cause icy roads. The greatest ice risk is expected over the central and southern Appalachians.
A quarter-inch of ice is forecast for areas from southwestern North Carolina through western Virginia to western Maryland, the NYT reported.
Early Monday morning, the weather service said rain and light snow had already begun to fall in parts of New England and New York.
Rain is expected in New York with little or no snow.
US Winter Storm: What is a Nor’easter?
According to the NYT report, a Nor’easter is a term used to describe a weather system in which winds from the East Coast collide with surface winds from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
These weather systems are particularly strong as cold winter air from the Arctic travels south and passes over warm waters on the Gulf Coast, the NYT reported, citing the NWS’s Churchill.
The combination of warm and cold air creates a low pressure system that is characterized by cloud cover and stormy conditions.
