A significant storm system moving through the eastern third of the country will help trigger another arctic blast, with at least 10 to 20 inches of snowfall expected downwind of the major Great Lakes.
A significant storm system moving through the eastern third of the country will help trigger another arctic blast, with at least 10 to 20 inches of snowfall expected downwind of the major Great Lakes, as Mother Nature’s version of a snow machine ramps back up for the third time in two weeks.
Cold air from Canada is expected to pour over the still-warm Great Lakes, helping to enhance snowfall for communities along the eastern and southern shores of the lake, starting on Wednesday and lasting through Friday.
“On the backside of the Wednesday wallop, we’ve got really cold, blustery air that’s going to be coming its way into the Great Lakes region, and that’s going to allow for the development of some pretty impressive snow bands,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Kendall Smith.
Expected snowfall
The combination of gusty winds and blowing snow is expected to lead to blizzard-like conditions, especially on Thursday when winds will peak with gusts of 25-45 mph.
Interstates such as 90 and 81 in New York are the primary routes that are expected to receive significant snowfall, which could impact travel.
“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” National Weather Service meteorologists warned. “Travel will be very difficult with deep snow cover on roads and very poor visibility. Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility.”
Winter weather alerts
Since the end of November, more than 70″ of snow has fallen between Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, causing post-Thanksgiving travel to be nearly impossible.
Snow drifts of 4-8 feet caused even snow removal crews to get stuck in the wintry mess.
Similar conditions were experienced north of Syracuse, where residents spent weeks digging out of feet of snow.
Several deaths were attributed to the event, with health issues related to snow shoveling and vehicle crashes reported throughout the Great Lakes.
The snow totals from the lake-effect snowstorm that stretched for multiple days from Nov. 29-Dec. 2 reached 3-5 feet or more. FOX Weather’s Haley Meier breaks down how much snow fell across each of the lake-effect zones from Michigan to New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
A significant warm-up over the weekend and into next week will halt the snow machine, leading to rapidly melting snow, which could cause flooding problems in the medium and long-term forecasts.
Forecast models show temperatures in the region reaching 10-20 degrees by the weekend, which will help to melt any snow that falls over the next few days.
In addition to flooding, there is the possibility of sporadic ice jams, which can lead to rapid rises of streams and rivers.
December temperature outlook
(FOX Weather)