Massive Winter Storm Expected to Bring Chaos to US Northeast
As the first major winter storm of the season clears out, another powerful system is already on the move and expected to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions, strong winds, potential tornadoes, and serious flooding from the Southwest to the Northeast through midweek.
Due to the deluge of snow and wintry conditions expected, forecasters have warned that travel chaos could be imminent for the US Northeast this weekend, with some 25 million people subject to a storm warning. More than 10 million people are under winter weather alerts from California to Illinois. Widespread snowfall accumulations of at least 6 inches are expected from northern New Mexico to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The storm is forecasted to rapidly strengthen into an exceptionally powerful January storm and cause widespread, significant impacts east of the Rockies beginning Monday. Poor visibility and difficult-to-near-impossible driving conditions will set in for the Southwest on Sunday, the central and southern Plains on Monday, and the Midwest on Tuesday. Strong winds will also bring wind chill values below zero degrees for some locations in the Plains.
In addition to snow and cold temperatures, the storm is also expected to bring flooding, damaging winds, and even tornadoes. More than 15 million people are under a severe storm threat from Texas to Florida on Monday, with over 35 million people under the same threat level on Tuesday from the Panhandle of Florida to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The storm is also expected to cause widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches from the Gulf Coast to New England, with isolated locations surpassing 4 inches. Heavy rain will accelerate snowmelt and increase the amount of water running off into waterways, raising the risk for significant flooding in many areas, particularly in the Northeast.
There are serious concerns for flooding in the Northeast with this next wave of rain coming right after the first snowstorm dropped more than half a foot of snow in multiple Northeast states. As a result, there is a Level 3 out of 4 risk for flooding in portions of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday. There is also a Level 3 of 4 risk for flooding along the western coast of Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle for the flood potential from the initial round of rain on Monday.
Wind is another concern, with gusty winds on the warm side of the storm potentially exceeding 50 MPH and causing damage over the Appalachians to the East Coast. The storm system is expected to wrap up near the end of the week, but another storm looks like it could follow a similar path and impact some of the same areas later in the week and into the weekend.
Overall, the next winter storm is anticipated to wreak havoc across a wide swath of the United States, with millions of people likely to be impacted by its threats. Residents in the affected regions are advised to heed all warnings and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety during this tumultuous weather event.