“Winter weather is expected to make a full return this week,” stated AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bill Deger as a series of storms are expected to roll in with heavy snowfall amounts expected for the northern and eastern regions of the country. The Appalachians and interior Northeast are expected to see several inches, while snow-belt areas are expecting well over a foot.
The first wave is already impacting parts of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. It will result in more snow before it moves towards the eastern part of the country. By Thursday, areas in higher elevations or downstream regions of the Great Lakes will have a potential of three to six inches of snow. At the same time, parts of Indiana, Michigan, upstate New York, and northern Maine have a potential of six to twelve inches. In addition to that, wind gusts of 40 miles per hour will be felt.
In the state of upstate New York, for example, cities such as Syracuse and Rochester are directly in the path of the heaviest snowfall. Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham reported that they may get half a foot of snow by the time it is finished. In the southern shore of Lake Michigan, a heavy lake-effect snow band will probably produce over a foot of snow in either far southwestern Michigan or far northwestern Indiana. According to reports by the National Weather Service, lake-effect snow is produced by the passage of cold air over the warm, unfrozen waters of the Great Lakes.
Such lake-effect patterns can cause a rate of snowfall ranging from two to three inches per hour, leading to heavy snowfall in a particular area. The direction of the wind is an important element in determining where the heavy snowfall takes place, which can cause a massive amount of snowfall in a particular neighborhood, resulting in a whiteout, while the next door neighborhood can be experiencing a sunny day.
Adding to these concerns, a number of Alberta Clipper systems are anticipated to hit the Midwest and Northeast rather quickly. These fast-moving systems, which originate from central Canada, will produce lighter and fluffier snow but will also pile inches on top of the already high snowfall totals. The first clipper will produce snow from Minnesota to Michigan before moving through Ohio and Pennsylvania, while another will be expected this weekend. Following each will be a surge of arctic air that will send temperatures tumbling.
In Michigan, the arctic front that has already produced a significant amount of lake-effect snowfall in the southwest corner of the state, with amounts of 12 to 18 inches, will also be monitored by modelers. The eastern Thumb region can also look forward to receiving over eight inches, and an additional amount of 18 inches may be received from Traverse City to Manistee by Saturday morning. Clipper systems will provide the Lower and Upper Peninsulas with two to four inches of wind-blown snow. A little farther east, a lake-effect snow warning is still in effect for Erie County in Pennsylvania.
Expect hazardous travel conditions throughout today and into Friday. Spotters have already reported over seven inches of snowfall in areas of Erie and Crawford counties. The National Weather Service advises people to postpone traveling unless it is absolutely necessary. With the weekend looming on the horizon, yet another potential storm may develop along the Gulf Coast and head towards the Southeastern part of the country, potentially bringing a combination of winter weather to the Mid-Atlantic. While little confidence exists in where this storm may develop, its recent streak of activity and cold pattern suggest that winter still has its grip on the Great Lakes and Northeast.
