Winter Storm Kenan path tracker LIVE – ‘Historic’ snow totals warning as bomb cyclone blizzard hits northeast

Winter storm is a nor’easter

A nor’easter is a storm that forms along North America’s East Coast. Nor’easters get their name from the direction in which the strongest winds blow over the northeastern states, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Nor’easters begin to form within 100 miles of the coast that stretches between New Jersey and Georgia.

This area is a perfect spot for the formation of storms. The polar jet stream blows cold air southward out of Canada and eastward toward the ocean. 

Weather considered ‘serious’ threat

AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said: “The area that we think will be hit the hardest and will be at risk for closures will be central and eastern Long Island to New England.”

His colleague Jonathan Porter added: “This is going to be an intensifying storm that will produce a lot of wind, which raises concerns for blowing and drifting snow, power outages and blizzard conditions in some areas.

“There is also a serious coastal flooding and beach erosion threat, especially in eastern Massachusetts.”

‘Historic’ storm for New England

Eastern New England is expected to see the worst of the blizzard conditions brought in by Storm Kenan.

The National Weather Service said Friday evening there was “high confidence” this will be a “historic major winter storm for eastern New England,” with widespread snowfall of one to two feet.

It also warned: “The strong-to-damaging winds will lead to scattered power outages.”

The Weather Prediction Center also warned of the possibility of coastal flooding.

“Coastal flooding is a concern thanks to astronomically high tides on Saturday,” the weather service office in Boston said. “The combination of strong northeast winds and high seas will bring storm surges that, if coinciding with high tide, would lead to minor or moderate coastal flooding.”

Another winter storm is brewing

Another winter storm is already brewing and is expected to hit central parts of the US around the middle of next week, the NWS has warned.

With the current storm still battering the eastern states, it looks like more Americans will suffer further significant snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

While the NWS said it was too early to give accurate information it added “a large, impactful and potentially significant is possible from the southern Plains through the lower Great Lakes”.

Rhode Island extends travel ban

Gov. Daniel McKee has announced in a press briefing that he had extended a travel ban on motor vehicles until midnight to allow snow plows to clean and clear roads and highways.

Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all non-emergency road travel earlier due to the severe weather conditions.

Boston could see snowfall record smashed

Boston could see its snowfall record broken during this weekend’s winter weather storm which is continuing.

The Boston area’s modern snowfall record is 27.6 inches, set in 2003.

Forecasters are predicting the area could see more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow by the time it moves out early Sunday.

Winds gusted as high as 83 mph (134 kph) on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. More than 22 inches (45 centimeters) of snow had fallen by midafternoon on part of Long Island, and Bayville, New Jersey, had 19 inches (48 centimeters).

New York City and Philadelphia were far from setting all-time records but still saw significant snowfall, with at least 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) in New York’s Central Park and at the Philadelphia airport.

‘Avoid travel’ locals told

Across the region, residents hunkered down and avoided travel at the behest of government leaders, who warned of whiteout conditions.

Business closed or opened late.

Officials from Virginia to Maine warned people to stay off the roads.

Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all nonemergency road travel starting at 8am. Fierce winds blew the snow sideways for hours in Providence.

On New York’s Long Island, East Hampton officials reported near-whiteout conditions, as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow by midmorning and wind gusts of over 50 mph (80 kph).

“There’s a lot of drifting of snow, so of course we’re urging people not to go out at all, allow the highway crews to do their job,” Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said. “It’s going to be challenging enough without people getting stuck in the roadway.”

Blizzard to continue

The fierce blizzard conditions are expected to last into this afternoon, the National Weather Service has warned.

The NWS said on Twitter: “Heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue through this afternoon from eastern Long Island to eastern MA, including eastern RI and CT.

“The heaviest snow rates will likely diminish by 4-5pm ET.

“Strong wind gusts of 35-50 kts are possible into this evening.”

What happens during a cyclone?

It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars — A millibar measures atmospheric pressure — over 24 hours.

This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass.

An example is when chilly air moves over warm ocean waters.

The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis, which creates what is known as a bomb cyclone.

What are blizzard conditions?

Not every storm is considered to be a blizzard.

There are three conditions that must be met for a storm to be considered a blizzard.

Snow must combine with winds over 35 miles per hour.

On top of that, visibility must be less than a quarter mile.

These conditions must last for more than three hours.

What is a nor’easter?

A nor’easter is a storm that forms along North America’s East Coast. Nor’easters get their name from the direction in which the strongest winds blow over the northeastern states, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Nor’easters begin to form within 100 miles of the coast that stretches between New Jersey and Georgia.

This area is a perfect spot for the formation of storms. The polar jet stream blows cold air southward out of Canada and eastward toward the ocean. 

Snowfall – the latest figures

A number of eastern states have suffered significant amounts of snow this morning, official figures from the National Weather Service show.

The NWS has reported as of 11am Saturday:

Highest totals by state so far:

• NJ – Tuckerton 16″
• NY – Islip 15″
• CT – Ledyard Center 14.1″
• MD – Ocean Pines 14″
• DE – Millsboro – 13″
• TN – Mt. Leconte 12″
• NC – Burnsville 9.7″
• VA – Oak Hill 9.5″
• MA – Norton 8.1″
• PA – Fox Chase 6.1″

The NWS issued snowfall figures across the eastern states

Near hurricane-force winds

Wind gusts reached near hurricane-force speeds as the winter weather storm lashed the Northeast on Saturday, dropping heavy snow, causing coastal flooding and threatening widespread power outages.

Forecasters warned conditions would worsen and then be followed by bitter cold.

The nor’easter thrashed parts of 10 states and some major population centers, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston. By midday, more than 18 inches (45 centimeters) of snow had fallen on parts of New Jerseys shore and eastern Long Island.

Areas closest to the Atlantic coast bore the brunt. Boston, in the nor’easter’s crosshairs, could get more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow. Winds gusted at 70 mph (113 kph) or higher at several spots in Massachusetts, including Nantucket Island and Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod.

Most flights into and out of the airports serving New York, Boston and Philadelphia were canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware.

More than 4,500 flights were canceled across the U.S. Amtrak canceled all its high-speed Acela trains between Boston and Washington and canceled or limited other service.

Motorists stuck in snow

Police on Long Island said they had to help motorists stuck in the snow.

New York City expected up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow by mid-afternoon.

In Philadelphia, where 6 inches (15 centimeters) fell by early Saturday, few drivers ventured onto streets covered in knee-high drifts.

Delaware allowed only essential personnel to drive in two of its three counties.

Virginia, where a blizzard this month stranded hundreds of motorists for hours on Interstate 95, did not hesitate to get resources at the ready.

Ocean City, Maryland, recorded at least a foot (30 centimeters) of snow. Maryland State Police tweeted that troopers had received more than 670 calls for service and responded to over 90 crashes by midmorning.

Blizzard warning for Boston

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Boston metropolitan area and its nearly 4.9 million residents, predicting “whiteout conditions” and damaging winds.

Forecasters said more than two feet of snow could fall in some areas with wind gusts of 70 miles (113 km) per hour.

Southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the island of Martha’s Vineyard, were expected to get the highest snow totals.

More from Hochul’s press conference

Speaking with reporters at around noon Saturday, Hochul said the storm had not progressed as quickly as forecast, pushing back the state’s timetable for cleaning up.

Hochul predicted that the hardest-hit counties – Nassau and Suffolk, which already have received 7 to 11 inches (18-28 cm) of snow – could get another 5 to 12 inches (13-30 cm) by 6pm.

“This storm lingered,” Hochul said.

114,000 People without power

So far power outages were limited in most of the impacted states with the exception of Massachusetts, where 114,000 out of 2.6million customers were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

The storm hit nearly 44 years to the day after a monstrous blizzard crippled New England in 1978.

Dumping more than 27 inches (70 cm) of snow on Boston, that storm killed dozens of people, trapped others in their homes and shut down major highways for a week.

New York Governor warns of ‘life-threatening’ conditions

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has warned of “life-threatening” conditions as the blizzard continues to bombard the city.

“It’s high winds, heavy snow, blizzard conditions – all the elements of a classic nor’easter,” Hochul said at a news briefing, warning of frigid temperatures overnight. “This could be life-threatening.”

New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and other states have declared a state of emergency due to the brutal winter weather storm.

The Nor’easter blanketed a large swath of New England with heavy snowfall. With the storm ongoing, some coastal areas of New Jersey already recorded 15 inches (38 cm) of accumulation while Long Island, New York braced for another foot (30 cm) of snow.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has warned of ‘life-threatening’ conditions

Elderly woman found dead in her car

An elderly woman was found dead in her car overnight in Uniondale, New York.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, was found by a snow plow operater, Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman said.

Blakeman added the cause of death had not been officially determined but speculated that she likely suffered a heart attack or another sudden health event and was unable to get help while stuck in the storm.

“It’s a sad situation, but it illustrates how dangerous it is, people should not be out unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Blakeman told NBC New York Saturday.

DANGER! FALLING IGUANAS

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center warned residents in the northeast of falling snow.

But Floridians were warned about a unique kind of precipitation: falling iguanas.

Moderate temperatures in the south, especially Florida and South Georgia, are expected through the weekend.

“A variety of wind chill advisories/watches and freeze watches are out for this area,” the NWS explained on Twitter. And that means wild iguanas could fall asleep with the sudden cold snap.

“Some of our iguana friends down there go dormant in such conditions and could take a tumble.”

RESIDENTS TOLD TO ‘AVOID TRAVEL’

Across the region, residents hunkered down and avoided travel at the behest of government leaders, who warned of whiteout conditions.

Business closed or opened late.

Officials from Virginia to Maine warned people to stay off the roads.

Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all nonemergency road travel starting at 8am. Fierce winds blew the snow sideways for hours in Providence.

On New York’s Long Island, East Hampton officials reported near-whiteout conditions, as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow by midmorning and wind gusts of over 50 mph (80 kph).

“There’s a lot of drifting of snow, so of course we’re urging people not to go out at all, allow the highway crews to do their job,” Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said. “It’s going to be challenging enough without people getting stuck in the roadway.”

WHAT IS A NOR’EASTER?

A nor’easter is a storm that forms along North America’s East Coast. Nor’easters get their name from the direction in which the strongest winds blow over the northeastern states, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Nor’easters begin to form within 100 miles of the coast that stretches between New Jersey and Georgia.

This area is a perfect spot for the formation of storms. The polar jet stream blows cold air southward out of Canada and eastward toward the ocean. 

PEOPLE URGED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND

In the seaside town of Newburyport, north of Boston near the New Hampshire border, officials strongly encouraged residents living along the shore to move to higher ground.

Video posted on social media showed wind and waves battering North Weymouth, south of Boston, flooding streets with a slurry of frigid water.

Other video showed a street underwater on Nantucket.

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power in Massachusetts, with failures mounting.

No other states reported widespread outages.

SNOWFALL SO FAR

A number of eastern states have suffered significant amounts of snow this morning, official figures from the National Weather Service show.

The NWS has reported as of 11am Saturday:

Highest totals by state so far:

• NJ – Tuckerton 16″
• NY – Islip 15″
• CT – Ledyard Center 14.1″
• MD – Ocean Pines 14″
• DE – Millsboro – 13″
• TN – Mt. Leconte 12″
• NC – Burnsville 9.7″
• VA – Oak Hill 9.5″
• MA – Norton 8.1″
• PA – Fox Chase 6.1″

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CYCLONE?

It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars — A millibar measures atmospheric pressure — over 24 hours.

This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass.

An example is when chilly air moves over warm ocean waters.

The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis, which creates what is known as a bomb cyclone.