Bomb cyclone to focus most of its furious snow in the Carolinas

As atmospheric pressure crashes over the Atlantic coast Friday through Saturday, bomb cyclones will be born, winds will increase dramatically and snow will blow. The main focus of snow will extend from the Carolinas to southern Virginia, northern Georgia and the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts this weekend.

A storm a week ago partially shielded the Carolinas and northern Georgia from the worst of the winter, but the impending storm could make up for it in terms of snow, with the potential for the heaviest snow in decades causing severe problems for areas handling up to an inch of snow.

Interstates 26, 40, 64, 75, 77, 81, 85 and 95 from Tennessee in the Carolinas and southern Virginia to the Atlantic coast may be closed to travel.

Accumulating snow will begin Friday afternoon in Middle Tennessee and continue into Saturday as storms move across the state. Nashville, hit hard by previous ice and snow storms, is forecast to receive 1-3 inches of snow. Bitterly cold conditions, with temperatures in the teens and 20s F on Sunday afternoon and not forecast to climb back above freezing until Monday afternoon, will leave many roads covered in snow and ice, making clearing difficult.

The bulk of the snow will fall in the Atlanta metro area Friday night into Saturday morning, with up to an inch of snow expected. However, snow accumulation will increase sharply along the I-85 corridor from northeast Georgia to central and eastern North Carolina. The southern Appalachians will also see heavy snowfall.

The flight to Atlanta is likely to be canceled. At the very least, significant delays will result due to deicing operations. It is possible that there will be so much snow in Charlotte as to shut down flight operations for some time. Several regional airports in the Carolinas may be closed due to a significant snowstorm.

In Charlotte, the most recent benchmark storm was 3.5 inches on January 17, 2018, and this weekend’s storm is forecast to reach or exceed that amount. Going further back, a storm in late February 2004 was one of the largest on record, dropping 13.2 inches. In late January 2003, a storm brought 8.5 inches.

In Raleigh, a storm on December 9, 2018 brought 7 inches, and this weekend’s storm could eclipse that. The largest blizzard on record occurred in late January 2000, when 20.3 inches of snow fell. In early January 2002, a storm brought 10.8 inches.

The worst storms in the Carolinas and southern Virginia will occur Saturday into Saturday night, when snow could fall as much as an inch per hour or more at times. As the storm rapidly strengthens just off the Atlantic coast, winds will increase across the region, causing rare blowing and drifting snow and visibility dropping to one-quarter mile or less at times.

Given the limited amount of plows and chemicals available in the area and the storm’s rapid speed, many roads will be covered with snow and may be blocked by stalled vehicles or accidents.

While crews focus their attention on major highways, some secondary roads and city streets could be blocked for days due to the storm. Schools may be closed for extended periods.

If there is a positive with this storm, unlike last weekend’s storm. The dry, powdery nature of much of the snow with this storm will not stick to trees and power lines. However, near the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia, winds will be strong enough to cause sporadic power outages.

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From eastern North Carolina to the southeastern corner of Virginia, all outdoor blizzard conditions are possible, with winds gusting to 35 mph or greater and snow or blowing snow reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less for at least three consecutive hours.

Winds will create frequent, large waves with moderate coastal flooding along unprotected coastal areas from North Carolina to Delmarva. Flooding will be worst during high tide.

What will the storm bring to the Northeast?

Dry arctic air and high pressure to the north will block the storm’s path to the northeast, forcing accumulated snow to fall southeast of Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia and New York City.

As an area of ​​high pressure north of the storm weakens by the end of the week, some snow will graze Boston, but the storm is likely to rage as blizzards over parts of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia, and the island of Newfoundland in Atlantic Canada.

The storm will approach the I-95 corridor in the northeast to create strong, harsh winds in the arctic air.

AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures will be 15-25 degrees below actual temperatures near the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts, as well as wide open areas and between the concrete canyons of New York City, Philadelphia and Boston Saturday through Sunday. RealFeel® temperatures will dip into the single digits and sometimes below zero.

Offshore storms this weekend will bring large waves that will reach the coastline in the form of large breakers, causing beach erosion.

The wave action and astronomical effects of the full moon will cause coastal flooding. Where winds blow to the north instead of the northeast, much of the New Jersey coast, the southern New England coast and New York City should be spared the worst effects of coastal flooding.

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