Winter Storm Suddenly Changed, Threatens 63 Million People as 20 Inches of Snow Approaches
Even with the most sophisticated equipment and computer modeling, weather still has a tendency to be rather unpredictable, and that was proven once again this weekend as a major winter storm shifted dramatically in a very short period of time.
This weekend, the northeastern portion of the United States is preparing for a major winter storm. However, that storm has changed drastically in terms of both direction and severity, threatening millions of people with what has been described as "dangerous" and "potentially life-threatening" conditions.
63 Million People Impacted
Over the next several days, around 63 million people across the country have been placed under winter alerts from Tennessee to Maine as major cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City are expecting anywhere from 9 to 20 inches of snow.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of “heavy” snow of up to 26 inches in some areas.
“Snowfall rates over 1″ per hour are possible, which could lead to hazardous travel conditions. Should higher totals above 6″ occur, the weight of the heavy snow may lead to scattered power outages,” the NWS warned in a post on X.
Roughly 26 million people have been placed under blizzard warnings across New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut as the storm approaches. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have announced a state of emergency for their respective states.
The NWS also warned that with the heavy snow and strong winds, power outages were "expected" in the area, warning those in the region to prepare accordingly.
'Shifted Dramatically'
While winter weather has been in the forecast for the region for several days, the path and severity of the storm shifted dramatically in just a short time, as Hochul explained in a news conference.
As Hochul explained, the state went from expecting a "run-of-the-mill" winter storm to a full-on blizzard with "potentially life-threatening" implications.
"Two days ago we were expecting a run-of-the-mill February storm, something we are used to handling (and) very accustomed to," Hochul said during a news conference Saturday afternoon, via USA Today.
"But over the last 24 hours, this forecast has shifted dramatically and once again, New York State is in the crosshairs of a very dangerous, fast-moving, potentially life-threatening winter storm," Hochul added.
It's still not completely clear just how much snow will hit the region, but it is expected to cause some serious travel delays.
Needless to say, this would be a good time to make sure you have all of your snow removal gear ready for what looks to be some heavy accumulation.