The quick, but powerful storm will bring gusty winds to 50 mph and another round of snow to the Great Lakes and Northeast this week.
ERIE, Pa. — A new winter storm is set to barrel across the Great Lakes into the Northeast this week, adding dangerous winds and potential near-blizzard conditions to places still digging out from feet of snow that fell over the past several days.
The storm could even bring a few snowflakes along the Interstate 95 corridor.
The storm system, known colloquially as an “Alberta Clipper” due to its quick pace and origins inside its namesake Canadian province, will first bring a punch of wind and areas of snow to the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest on Wednesday.
The heaviest snows on Wednesday will once again be generated by lake effects and relegated to the eastern shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Winter Storm Watches and Warnings are in effect for Michigan’s western snowballs and the Upper Peninsula for new snow totals exceeding a foot.
(FOX Weather)
But scattered snow squalls are possible across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Wednesday, with widespread wind gusts reaching 40-50 mph bringing potential for near-blizzard or whiteout conditions.
(FOX Weather)
Storm shifts heavy snows, strong wind gusts to Northeast on Thursday
The clipper system will slide through the Northeast on Thursday, shifting the heavy snow to the eastern shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
“That wind is straight down out of Canada, pulling down more in the way of the cold air – part of the reason why so many folks across the eastern part of the country are dealing with below average temperatures,” says FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver. “That also keeps the lake-effect snow machine rolling. So December is kicking off with a bang.”
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray shows the snowy scene from Erie as crews race to clear feet of snow just as another snowstorm looms in the middle of the week.
Winter Storm Watches and Lake Effect Snow Warnings are back in effect from late Wednesday through Thursday night. Another 7-12 inches of snow with isolated higher amounts are likely along the eastern shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Those areas have been digging out from the 3-5 feet of lake-effect snow accumulated since Friday.
(FOX Weather)
Heavy snows are also likely in interior New England into Maine from the moisture associated with the storm center as it tracks over that area Thursday.
Lighter but accumulating snow is expected across the lower elevations of central New York and northern Pennsylvania.
While strong winds were not much of a factor in the previous lake-effect storm, this time, ferocious winds will blow across the Northeast as the powerful low pressure center pushes across the region.
(FOX Weather)
Widespread gusts of 40-50 mph are likely, creating near-blizzard conditions along the lake effect snow belts. Wind Advisories cover 35 million across the Northeast, including New York City and Philadelphia.
Will it snow along the I-95 corridor?
Depending on the storm’s timing Thursday, it’s possible some areas along the I-95 corridor could at least see some wet snow or a rain/snow mix.
Neither New York, Philadelphia or Boston have yet to see any measurable snow reported in the weather books this season.
(FOX Weather)
Overall, this storm is not expected to bring much of any snow accumulations, but the strong winds could still trigger sporadic power outages.