The winter storm is expected to bring rain, snow and heavy snow to much of the northeastern United States from Monday night into Tuesday, and millions of Americans are under winter storm advisories, forecasters said.
The bulk of the storm is expected to arrive in the region later Monday, with the system forecast to develop over the Gulf States and then move toward the Eastern Seaboard. Most of the heavy snowfall is expected to end by Tuesday night, with conditions clearing by Wednesday.
The heaviest snowfall is expected from the Poconos to eastern Maine, where five to 10 inches of snowfall could occur between Monday night and Tuesday night. Higher elevation areas of New England could see more than a foot of snow.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
It came as many motorists and air travelers experienced significant disruption from another winter storm in the Midwest and Great Lakes region over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, causing several major roadway crashes, hundreds of flight cancellations and thousands of delays.
On Saturday, 8.4 inches of snowfall was recorded at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, setting a record for the city’s snowiest November day since records began. Dozens of flights remained canceled or delayed through Monday, and travel conditions are expected to remain hazardous in some areas through Monday night. Snow also occurred in parts of Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.
Meteorologist Andrew Orrison told The Associated Press that snow is tapering off in the Great Lakes region, but the new storm is moving toward the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, where there will be “significant” snowfall through Tuesday.
“This is going to be the first snowfall of the season in many of these areas, and it’s going to be quite significant,” Orrison said. “The good news is that it doesn’t look like there’s going to be any significant snowfall in major cities at this time.”
A warning was issued for coastal Maine from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning, stating that residents should “delay all travel if possible” due to the snowfall.
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, the Department of Transportation on Sunday invited residents to submit names for its second annual Name-a-Solve contest.
“Welcome to Department Seven Snowplows, our winter twist on a classic story. Hawthorne had the Gables. We have orange snowplows just waiting for the right name,” the department said on social media. The ultimate winner’s top name was Ctrl-Salt-Delete.
With plowable snow expected across large parts of Pennsylvania, crews began treating lanes along the 565-mile Pennsylvania Turnpike system on Monday, agency press secretary Marisa Orbanek told the AP. Vehicle restrictions will be imposed on several interstate routes in the eastern part of the state from 5 am on Tuesday. “We really prepare for snow all year long,” she said.
<a href