Major elevation storm bringing snow and rain to Northeast, Appalachia
An "elevation snowstorm" is delivering the first accumulating snow of the season to part of the eastern United States, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. The same storm will also help to put a dent in the ongoing drought and substantially reduce the wildfire threat.
As colder air sweeps across the Northeast, a storm tracking over the region will continue to stall, creating the perfect recipe for an "elevation storm," AccuWether Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.
"A highly elevation-dependent snowfall with accumulations varying significantly over a small area will continue to unfold from the mountains of North Carolina to northern New England," Douty explained. "A difference of 500 feet in elevation could lead to a big difference in overall accumulation."
This storm setup is typical for a late-autumn or early-spring storm.
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"In most areas, the heaviest period of snow has already come to an end," Douty said. "In some areas still observing snow, wintry conditions may even linger into Saturday."
Over the ridges in West Virginia, western Maryland and the southwestern Pennsylvania mountains, snow totals are ranging from 6-12 inches. Similarly, the Poconos and Endless Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as the Catskills in southwestern New York, are observing similar snowfall totals.
Several inches of snow is accumulating across the Adirondack, Green and White mountains.
The wet and clinging nature of the snow will weigh down tree limbs and may lead to power outages over the higher elevations. Some secondary roads may be blocked by falling trees.
The northern and western suburbs of Boston could see some mixed rain and snow late Friday into early Saturday as well.
The storm will not bring drenching rain or heavy snow everywhere, nor will it bring an end to the drought and low stream, lake and reservoir levels. The drought is much too extensive and too significant to be resolved by one storm.
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However, the rain and wet snow will soak the dry leaves and brush, significantly reducing the existing threat of brush fires. Multiple fires have ignited in recent weeks amid an extended stretch of dry weather, and this storm will continue to help to contain or extinguish ongoing fires.
The storm will bring the most substantial rainfall in months from Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City and Boston. In these areas, a minimum of a few tenths of an inch of rain will fall, with the potential for an inch or more over the upper mid-Atlantic to New England.
Much of the rain fell along an advancing cold front. As this front moved along on Thursday, thunder and lightning accompanied intense downpours.
Philadelphia received only 0.32 of an inch of rain from Sept. 29 through Nov. 19, which is 6% of the historical average. Rainfall is only 14% of the average for New York City, 15% for Boston and 16% for Baltimore. Washington, D.C., has received about 2 inches during the same period, but that amount is only slightly over a third of the historical average.
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The rainfall deficit is close to 25% of the annual historical average, and because of the lack of rain, the soil is dry to a significant depth. Streams and rivers that fill lakes and reservoirs are running at rock-bottom lows. That soil must first be saturated for runoff into the streams to be significant.
While a touch of snow may fall as far to the south as some of the higher elevations in the southern Appalachians that were ravaged by Helene in late September, the main impacts from the storm will have to do with much colder and windy conditions at times.
Wind gusts across the Northeast, particularly along the coast, will blow out of the northwest from 30-40 mph on Saturday with the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 55 mph. Localized power outages can occur in the strongest wind gusts, especially if tree branches are knocked down onto wires.
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As the storm spins northeastward this weekend, gusty winds will enhance the flow of cold air, and some of the lowest temperatures of the season so far will be felt. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will dip into the 30s, 20s and teens from Friday to Sunday.
On Saturday, it may feel more like a January day rather than late November as showers of rain and snow persist over the interior. More accumulations will be possible over some of the higher elevations and the eastern shores of lakes Erie and Ontario from Pennsylvania and New York to New England.
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Sunday will be a better travel day through the mountains with mainly dry conditions.
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