Crocuses are blooming, tulips are poking up and the birds are back from their winter vacation. Spring is here.

But it wouldn’t be complete without a snow threat, and this one is real and big.

Low pressure is developing over the Mid-Atlantic and will blow up into a legit, slow-moving nor’easter that will impact Maine for a few days.

TIMING

Precipitation will move in from southwest to northeast starting sometime between 3 and 6 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

At the beginning, I believe the coastline will be a bit too warm at the surface, and it will start as rain. Elsewhere it will start as snow, but it likely will not accumulate on roadways very efficiently because of the high angle of the sun this time of year.

Once the sun sets, though, all bets are off.

The boundary layer will cool, and the sun angle will no longer be a factor. From 8 p.m. through early morning Thursday, conditions will deteriorate quickly. Snowfall rates could exceed 1 to 2 inches per hour at times, and it will be sticking to roadways.

As of 3 a.m., it’ll still be ripping.

Once the sun comes back up, I think the immediate coastline will struggle with accumulation. There could be some mixing with sleet and even some rain mixed in.

If a coastal front develops and keeps us on the cold side of the things, amounts will increase very quickly. For this reason, the immediate coastline (within 10 miles) is the most difficult part of the forecast.

Away from the coastal zone, snow will accumulate all day Thursday and into the night before winding down late in the evening.

The storm is expected to linger into Friday, but precipitation rates drop and become more scattered. We won’t see much additional accumulation here with temperatures in the mid- to upper 30s.

WINDS

Because the snow along the coastline will be of the especially sticky, heavy variety, I have concerns about power outages. This one has all the signs, and the risk for widespread outages is running high.

Winds will turn east-northeast at 30 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph possible Wednesday evening and early Thursday. That will likely be enough for outages, particularly when combined with “danglers” from our latest ice storm.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Midweek storm has potential for heavy snow, rain, power outages

Next »

‘Sheer perfection’ in the forecast for total solar eclipse