Snow in New England, Snowfall Maps and a Nor’easter “Likely” This Week
We finally got some measurable snow this month in central New Hampshire.
It’s a welcome sight, assuming you love winter and compelling outdoor scenery.
Parts of the Northeast may get quite a bit more white stuff from a nor’easter later this week, according to the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service.
“Heavy snow threat shifts into the interior Northeast Thursday and Friday, with heavy rain possible across coastal locations,” a center forecast discussion says.
“The likely development of a nor’easter near the Mid-Atlantic coast and subsequent northward track would bring a threat for wintry weather and potentially heavy snowfall across interior portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with even some ice/sleet potential closer in towards the I-95 corridor early Thursday before the warm air moves in and changes the precipitation to rain,” the discussion says.
“There remains plenty of uncertainty in the details of this system, and even small shifts in this low (storm) track could cause significant differences in precipitation types/amounts across the East.”
“Probabilities for over 8 inches of snow are highest across the elevated regions of the Catskills, Adirondacks, and White Mountains,” the center says in a hazards outlook for Dec. 15 to 19. “There remains notable uncertainty with how far east/south the rain/snow line sets up, therefore residents along this expected transition zone should keep an eye on the forecast for relatively subtle changes going forward.”
Coastal flooding “could become an issue on Friday and Saturday as the strengthening low pressure system produces strong northeasterly winds from Long Island to the southern coast of Maine. Wind gusts could exceed 50 mph at times, which prompted the addition of the highlighted high winds area,” the outlook says.
Not Much Snow in New England So Far This Season
Thirty years ago, a powerful nor’easter caused major coastal flooding in New England and the mid-Atlantic. The storm also dumped up to 4 feet of snow inland.
The nor’easter of ’92 hammered the Jersey Shore, causing the most coastal damage there since a March 1962 nor’easter. I was one of many Asbury Park Press reporters, photographers and others who covered its stunning aftermath and years-long efforts to boost shore protection, including replenishing severely eroded beaches and dunes.
The 1992 storm caused 19 deaths and $2.5 billion in damages ($5.1 billion in today’s dollars). It affected states including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
“The storm was one of the fiercest nor’easters to have struck southern New England in the 20th century,’’ the National Weather Service Boston/Norton office says in a comprehensive summary.
Superstorm Sandy: 10th Anniversary Memories and Images
More images, including snowfall maps from the latest event, a map showing weather hazards in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic later this week and some of my snow-related photos today in New Hampshire:
You can subscribe to my NH EnviroGuy blog via email: https://medium.com/subscribe/@tbbates16
Photos of Peaking Fall Foliage in New Hampshire (Part One)
Three Historic October Storms in the Northeast, This Month’s Climate Outlook and September Recap
Hurricane Ian Stats and Images, New England Cold and Drought Update in the Northeast
Photos of Emerging Fall Foliage in New Hampshire, September 2022
Photos of Serene, Remote Cranberry Lake in Adirondack Park, New York
50-Foot Wave from Hurricane Fiona, Drought Update and Fall Climate Outlook for the Northeast
Photos at Serene, Colorful Lees Pond in Moultonborough, New Hampshire
Nor’easter Winds Gust to 94 mph in Massachusetts, Higher than Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms in New England, With the Chances of Them Coming Within 50 Miles