Get Ready for Winter Storm

The following report provided courtesy of Accuweather.com:
STATE COLLEGE, PA – A storm that has produced a swath of heavy snow from Minneapolis and Chicago, and soon to Washington, D.C., will cause problems at the coast from wind, beach erosion and coastal flooding. Impacts from a storm targeting millions of people in the Eastern states will range from travel disruptions and power outages caused by heavy snow to coastal flooding from storm surge.
A major storm will bring heavy snow from parts of North Carolina to parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey spanning later Tuesday into Thursday.
The storm will be moving through the central Appalachians toward the mid-Atlantic coast during the middle of the week, after blasting portions of the Plains and Midwest Monday into Tuesday.

Based on the latest information, the area that has a significant chance of immobilizing snow of over a foot lies across the higher elevations of eastern West Virginia into western parts of Virginia and western Maryland.
Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Winchester, Va.; Frederick and Hagerstown, Md.; and Martinsburg, W.Va.; appear to have some of the greatest snow potential. This potential would be dangerous and travel-halting. The weight of heavy snow is likely to bring down many trees and power lines in this area.

However, dozens of other cities in the region and towns and rural areas in between could receive anywhere from a couple of inches of slush to a foot or more of back-breaking snow and power outages. These include Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Dover, Del., and Vineland, N.J. These areas are likely to receive rain during part of the storm and a larger percentage of the snow that falls is more likely to melt for a time. The potential in these areas is for sudden, intense snowfall, which can overcome marginal temperatures enhanced by the March sun-effect, even in the biggest coastal cities.
As the rate of snow becomes heavy, roads can quickly become clogged with snow, potentially stranding motorists. Deicing time will increase at area airports in the path of the storm. Flight delays and cancellations from heavy snow were hitting Minneapolis and Chicago first, but they will spread to multiple airports in the I-95 mid-Atlantic with the possibility of delayed aircraft and crews elsewhere across the nation. Even in parts of the South, including Atlanta, the storm will have direct impact from downpours and gusty thunderstorms.
Other Stories of Interest:
Snow to Reach New York City to Boston, New England
Mid-Atlantic: Heavy Wet Snow, Wind and Power Outages
East Storm: Wind, Beach Erosion and Coastal Flooding
Severe Weather in the South

Marginal temperatures will play a role, which will cause some of the snow to melt as it falls on the roads and to bring rain during part of the storm. However, when the precipitation comes down hard, it can switch to snow and quickly accumulate even on paved and concrete surfaces.
Along the coast, the storm will also cause strong winds, as well as water rise issues and beach erosion. For more information on this consult the story “East Storm: Wind, Beach Erosion and Coastal Flooding.”
AccuWeather.com meteorologists pointed out that the storm this week may bear some similarities to the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962. The historic storm caused everything from feet of snow to high winds and extensive coastal flooding.
The storm this week will also unleash heavy snow that could threaten to cause power outages from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia. Serious coastal flooding and beach erosion are also concerns.

Odds are against tremendous impacts of a storm lingering for three or four days like the intensity of the ’62 Ash Wednesday Storm. However, there could be minor to moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion occurring through the end of the week with a strong northeasterly wind.