An early spring blizzard is expected to bring heavy snowfall to Central and Northern New York Monday and Tuesday, increasing the likelihood of power outages and difficult travel, forecasters said.
The storm could bring a mix of snow and rain to New England, but in New York state, which is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, snowfall from up to 15 cm is possible in some northern provincesaccording to the National Weather Service.
A mix of rain and snow was expected to spread to much of central New York and northeast Pennsylvania Monday evening, turning to snow in many areas before settling down Tuesday morning, forecasters said.
Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Binghamton, NY, said on Sunday that one of the biggest concerns was that the storm was expected to bring heavy, wet snow.
“That’s the kind of stuff that can kill trees because it weighs so much on them,” said Ms. Chapman. “So you look at your risk of power outages, and it’s a little more difficult to shovel as well.”
The Weather Service hadn’t issued any watches or warnings in connection with the storm Sunday morning, but Ms. Chapman said that could change, especially as forecasters become more confident about the storm’s track and projected snowfall totals.
“There is still a lot of uncertainty about that,” she says. “Some models are still quite back and forth on that at the moment, unfortunately. The bottom line is we’re looking at the potential for some pretty impactful weather.”
While the exact amounts of snow weren’t clear, Josh Weiss, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, said the storm was unlikely to cause record-breaking snowfall in places like Delaware and Sullivan Counties, in central Catskills and Otsego County. New York .
“I don’t think the amounts are too big for an April event,” said Mr. weiss. “Normally we get snow there in the late season, so I don’t think it’s out of the normal range.”
As the storm moves east on Monday, the effects are not expected to be as great as in New York.
In central Massachusetts, the storm is expected to bring widespread rain and sleet late Monday night and Tuesday, said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Boston.
“It’s not going to be a winter storm for us,” Mr Dunham said, referring to the people of the Boston area.
The storm is unlikely to significantly affect Boston Marathon runners on Monday. According to the Boston Weather Service, they can expect partly cloudy skies with peaks in the low 50s before rain moves into the area after about 9 p.m.
Ms Chapman said it’s not uncommon to get a snow storm in April, but added that those in the northeast may not have an appetite for snow in the spring.
“After we’ve had such nice weather, I think people are probably not really in the mood or ready to deal with it right now,” Ms Chapman said. “Just be prepared to possibly have to shovel and possibly have to commute carelessly.”
