A dangerous and disruptive storm will shut down travel over the interior Northeast this weekend. The storm that will initiate in the Midwest will evolve into a blizzard which will cause road closings and a slew of flight cancellations.
Roads that are expected to be affected in the Northeast include parts of Interstate 79, 80, 81, 96, 87, 89, 90 and 91. As the blizzard reaches full capacity, these areas could see 2-3 inches of snow per hour. At this rate, snowplows will not be able to keep up and travel will likely be out of the question.
AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is estimating 30 inches of snow in parts of central and northern New York. This could extend to the northern tier of Pennsylvania as well. For parts of New England, they may see as much as 40” of snow from this system.
The heaviest band of the storm will bring 12 to 24 inches of snow which will fall north of Interstate 95. Cities affected will include Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
The storm will be further intensified with ice accumulation. Multiple areas will have heavy rates of precipitation including New York City and Philadelphia.
Once the blizzard has cleared, another storm could bring even heavier and longer-lasting snow and/or ice into the I-95 corridor. The storm could cause an ice buildup of over 0.25 inches from parts of western Virginia to the South Coast of New England. Ice accumulations are expected to bring down trees and power lines; therefore, many people will be left without power.
For folks in these areas, be sure to have an emergency kit, food supply and cold weather gear on hand. If you are able to get an emergency generator, we’d highly recommend it. Check out our article on emergency generators and our safety checklist for your vehicle in the event you get stuck in this treacherous storm.
