Nor’easter pummeling New England and the Mid-Atlantic with heavy snow, wind, and freezing rain

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A strong winter storm is taking aim at New England and the Mid-Atlantic this week. Winter weather alerts stretch from North Carolina to Maine, with the swath of greatest snowfall lining up through Pennsylvania, into southern New York and northern New Jersey.

Winter weather alerts stretch from North Carolina to Maine(WOWT)

Here over a foot of snow is LIKELY. Just take a look at the graphic below! Where you see the orange and red contours, these areas have at least a 75% chance of seeing MORE than 12″ of snow over the next 48 hours… Up to two feet of snow possible!

More than a foot of snow likely in the orange and red contours!(WOWT)

Nor’easters are able to drop so much snow due to their source of moisture – the Atlantic Ocean! The warmer water continues to pump moisture into the storm, allowing for the impressive snowfall rates and totals. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are expected with this storm.

Precipitation began surging north Wednesday morning, running into the cold air from the north. At the southern edge of this system, ice is a concern. Up to a quarter inch of ice is possible from western North Carolina, up through portions of Virginia and West Virginia.

In addition to the heavy snow and ice, strong winds are likely – especially along the coast. Gusts up to 55 mph are possible!

Major impacts are expected from this strong winter storm, including power outages, travel delays, and possibly more disruptions for holiday shipments. The snow will be finished falling far before the Husker game at Rutgers on Friday, but of course, it will be chilly behind the system.