Spring Snow for the Northeast

31 Mar 2021, 7:15 am

Heavy rain and snow are expected for the Northeast through Thursday as a potent trough swings up the coast. Flooding will be possible as heavy rain and warm temperatures impact the area before the precipitation turns to snow overnight into Thursday.

Winter Alerts

Winter alerts have been issued in anticipation of the snow expected to arrive late Wednesday night into Thursday. A good portion of Upstate New York is expected to receive 5-10″ of snow, with higher totals possible. The highest accumulations are currently expected between the Adirondacks and the I-81 corridor through the border with Pennsylvania.

Winter weather advisories are in place for the mountains of West Virginia too, as 2-4″ of snow will be possible overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.

Forecast

Rain is expected to move through the Ohio River Valley on Wednesday. This will bring training rain showers and the opportunity for flooding due to the current state of the saturated grounds in some locations.

There could be between 1″-3″ of rain and normally this wouldn’t create a flash flooding threat but because there is already so much water in the soils, the risk is higher even with a quick downpour. The greatest risk for flooding will be focused in the Deep South but an isolated risk for flooding will cover much of the Carolinas, Virginia, and coastal locations in the Northeast.

The rain could also lead to the rapid melt of snow on the ground and ice jams. Flood watches are in effect across Northern Maine for this potential.

By Wednesday night, arctic air behind the front will produce a change over in precipitation type. Moderate to heavy rain will change to snow across Upstate New York and much of Northern New England, with heavy accumulations possible in some locations.

Higher elevation locations will likely record the heaviest snow accumulations, with some totals surpassing 6-8 inches. Some valleys in New York and Pennsylvania will have the potential for moderate to heavy snow to accumulate as well.

The heaviest snow is likely between around midnight and noon on Thursday, though lighter snow showers could linger well into Friday for some.

This is an evolving forecast so stay tuned to WeatherNation for updates!

About the author

Kara James

Kara has always been passionate about weather and knew from an early age that she wanted to become a meteorologist. Living in different regions of the country and experiencing weather events ranging from ice storms to tornadoes drove her to pursue a bachelor's degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. Throughout college, storm chasing became a regular event for Kara, where she saw fir... Load Morest-hand the power of the atmosphere. Kara graduated cum laude from OU and decided to further her meteorology education with a Master's degree from Mississippi State University. The deadly April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak struck while Kara was studying at MSU; her first “Dixie Alley” tornado event and an up close glimpse into the destruction of the storms she so closely studied. Her broadcast career began in Elvis’ birthplace, Tupelo, Mississippi, where she earned her Certified Broadcast Meteorologist seal from the American Meteorological Society. Kara's career has included coverage of all types of severe weather including tornado events, flooding and tropical systems across multiple southern states. Recently she helped cover the 2020 Easter Sunday deadly tornado outbreak in southeast Mississippi. In her free time, you can find Kara outdoors exploring new areas with her mini poodle,Truffles. Kara is also an avid runner and frequently races in 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons. Say hi to Kara on Twitter and Facebook!