What You Should Know About The Massive Blizzard Coming For The East Coast
You may or may not have heard, but a big bad blizzard is about to slam into the East Coast. The storm, which goes by Stella and will hit Tuesday, will combine heavy snow and extreme winds. Here's what you need to know.
The Snow Will Start Coming Down Early Tuesday Morning, And It Won't Stop For A While
Enjoy Monday, because things will start going to hell during the early morning hours of Tuesday. Snow is forecasted to begin falling in the tri-state area between 1 and 5 am, and around 5 am in the Boston region.
The snow will stay fairly steady until the late afternoon, and by "steady," we mean "steadily crazy." The tri-state area is expecting around 3 inches of snow per hour throughout the morning and afternoon, which is similar to what Boston's expecting:
Forgive the expression, but it will literally be puking snow during the daylight hours on Tuesday. Snowfall rates of 2-to-4 inches per hour at times will cause some roads to become near impassible. By 4 p.m., more than 80-percent of the entire snow accumulation will already be on the ground. This is also when the blizzard conditions are most likely to occur. Visibility will drop to near zero at times as the wind whips the snow around in a frenzy.
It's not just CBS Boston — "puking" appears to be the word of choice for the amount of snow Stella will be throwing down:
So yeah, Stella will be puking all over the East Coast.
The 'Most Likely' Snowfall Forecasts Show Particularly Bad News For New York And The Tri-State Area
The Boston region will likely get hit hard, while further down the coast will see even more serious snowfall. If the forecasts hold, the New York area is in for a doozy, with about 20 inches expected.
Don't Worry, There Will Also Be Wind!
If you're a big fan of snow drifts, this is the storm for you. Unfortunately, it also means power outages are a bigger risk.
Strong winds gusting to 40 to 60 mph could cause near-blizzard or blizzard conditions to occur close to the coast from northern New Jersey to the New York City metro and parts of southern New England… The weight of the snow on branches and power lines in combination with the strong winds may lead to tree damage and scattered power outages in parts of the Northeast.
For Those On The Actual Coast, Flooding Is Also A Concern
Coastal flooding may also become a problem from the Delmarva peninsula and Jersey Shore to Long Island, Cape Cod and the islands Tuesday and Tuesday night as strong, potentially damaging winds from the south and east push water ashore in those areas. Tides on Tuesday may run 2 to 3 feet above average and coastal erosion is likely.
[AOL]
Stella Is Looking Like A 'Perfect Storm'
Weather satellites captured some impressive views of the storm forming. The storm itself throws together a scary combination of factors:
From a weather nerd-out standpoint, the storm is close to perfection. The primary ingredients—a cold pulse from the Great Lakes and a low-pressure system forming off the Carolinas—will pull in subtropical moisture from a record-warm Gulf Stream right offshore. The storm will rapidly strengthen—in the process becoming a meteorological "bomb" (a technical term for rapidly strengthening low-pressure centers)—and travel over the sweet spot to maximize snowfall for New York City and New England. That's forced meteorologists to add new colors to their weather maps, and marvel at an "absolute crusher" that will be "puking snow."
If You're Flying Into Or Out Of An East Coast City Tuesday… You're Probably Not Doing Any Flying
Hundreds of flights have already been canceled at the major airports in New York, Boston and Washington DC. You can track those cancellations here.
Needless to say, but if your kid goes to school, there's a good chance they'll be home tomorrow, especially from New York (New York City public schools are already closed for Tuesday) and northwards.
TL;DR
This sign isn't real, but it's accurate: