Destructive snowstorm to rumble through U.S. Northeast

April 22, 2012 – NEW YORK – Low pressure will intensify as it moves up the Eastern Seaboard from North Carolina later Sunday into the interior Northeast Monday. In concert with this surface low, a powerful dip in the jet stream and just enough cold air near the surface will team up to produce heavy, wet snow. The areas of concern are western New York, western Pennsylvania, extreme eastern Ohio, parts of northern West Virginia and extreme western Maryland. The timing of the changeover to snow is shown by the model forecast loop below (denoted by white shadings). Snowfall rates may exceed 1” per hour Sunday night into early Monday, accompanied by thunder and lightning! How much snow? Below is our storm total snowfall forecast. No, you’re not seeing things. It may be late April, but we’re expecting significant accumulations in both Buffalo and Pittsburgh, and at least a foot of snow in the Allegheny Plateau and Appalachians! This would be a noteworthy storm enough, but there’s another factor that will likely make this spring snow destructive! Thanks to the intensifying low, strong winds will develop in these same areas late Sunday night, persisting through much of Monday, before slackening off Tuesday. These winds will combine with heavy snow to reduce visibilities, leading to hazardous driving conditions late Sunday night into Monday from western New York to northern West Virginia. –Weather