Feb 10, 2010 3:02 am US/Eastern
Looming Storm Likely To Bury NYC, Suburbs
Significant Snowfall To Hit Entire Tri-State Area Wednesday -- 10-16 Inches For NYC, Parts Of Long Island, Up North
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Up to 16 inches of snow could fall in portions of the tri-state on Feb. 10, 2010.
CBS
Two wicked weather systems are on a dangerous collision course, and the meeting point is right over the tri-state. The result? One monster storm that is already rattling nerves, forcing New York City public schools to call a rare school day and leaving residents across the region wondering what this latest beating from Old Man Winter will bring.
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the entire CBS 2 HD viewing area in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, including all five boroughs of New York City, from midnight Tuesday through 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
CBS 2's Lonnie Quinn said the first storm system headed our way was a low pressure system pushing east from Chicago early Tuesday night, and another low pressure system in the south east moving up the coast in the form of a typical winter nor'easter.
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Quinn said if the storm over Chicago weakens, much of the tri-state will be buried in plenty of snow.
"If you want a lot of snow, you really want to root for this coastal storm to take over, because if it does, by the time it is set up in our area, it will bring in a northerly wind, and all this rain associated with it is going to turn into snow," said Quinn. "But if the storm around Chicago becomes the dominant storm, it brings in a southwesterly breeze ahead of it and we're just gonna be too warm for those big snowfall totals."
Current forecasts predict between 10 and 16 inches of snow for New York City and most of the CBS 2 viewing area in the tri-state, with 6 to 10 inches in areas farther north and west of the city, and lower totals due to mixing of snow, sleet and rain along the East Coast line.
Despite those predictions, Quinn said there were also computer models Tuesday showing temperatures were staying on the warmer side, with the high in Manhattan reaching 42 degrees. He said those models were less likely to play out.
"There is another scenario, but this is less likely. You have to consider the fact that we hit 42 degrees today. That's pretty warm out there and the models have now trended warmer over the last 24 hours. Mixing is going to be possible – by mixing I mean sleet and even some rain mixed in there – and if this happens, you'll have lower snowfall totals," he said.
Still, most models and forecasts seem to agree that 8 to 14 inches will fall for the majority of the region, with the possibility for even higher totals in some places.
"Here's what we're looking at in terms of the timing. I would expect to see the first snowflakes out there in the city around midnight, it'll start up earlier south and west of the city. By 3 a.m. we are dealing with snow, but again, this mixing possibility," said Quinn.
By 7 a.m. the commute is underway and it looks like heavy snow in the city, Quinn expects the line of sleet will push a little to the north, and sure enough as you go through your day we think the sleet will come into the city, and potentially even some hard-driving rain.
Still, he thinks the bulk of this storm will be snow for New Yorkers.
"Don't think this storm is a bust because I am confident those northerly winds will be kicking in. I think the coastal storm is gonna be the dominant factor here, it's gonna turn all of this over to snow, and I feel pretty sure we'll see that 10 to 16-inch snow all throughout the majority of the area," said Quinn.
The sanitation department is readying its 365 salt spreaders and up to two-thousand plows. Amtrak has canceled trains because of all the snow from Washington D.C. to New York and the Long Island Railroad is warning everyone that if 10 inches or more of snow accumulate, all trains heading in and out of Long Island will be canceled.
Strong winds will also accompany this storm with that could reach 50 mph.
Please stay with CBS 2 HD and WCBSTV.com for the latest on this potential winter storm. We will have updated information as it becomes available.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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