Major Northeast Snowstorm on Its Way

(Feb. 23) -- The Middle Atlantic region has stolen most of the weather headlines this winter, but that's all about to change. The Northeast is going to be hit by a prolonged, major snowstorm in the coming days. Snowfall amounts might be measured in feet, and the combination of snow and wind will create an all-out blizzard at the storm's peak.

The details of the storm cannot be pinpointed yet, but combination of snow and wind will likely create blizzard conditions in the Catskills and Adirondacks of upstate New York, Vermont, northern New Hampshire, and northern Maine from later Thursday into Friday. Road and airport closures are likely, and the strong wind may bring down power lines and tree limbs. The intense combination of snow and wind might extend to areas close to the coast, including Boston, New York City, and perhaps Philadelphia.

While this will be the most likely time for the storm to reach blizzard status, it will only be part of what will be a long week of intense, wintry weather for nearly all of New England, New York state, and even eastern Pennsylvania.

The late-week storm will be prolonged, resulting in wind and intermittent snow through most -- if not all -- of the upcoming weekend. It also will be preceded by a storm earlier in the week. With little break between the storms, it will seem like a five- or six-day snowstorm in some areas.

The first storm, from today into Wednesday, will not be nearly as intense as the late-week storm, but it will be formidable.

A significant accumulation of snow will fall in interior parts of the Northeast, with a mixture of rain and snow in areas closer to the coast. Cumulative snowfall totals in the mountains, where all snow will fall with both storms, could reach three feet, with widespread accumulation of at least one foot from northern Maine to the Catskills.

Snowfall amounts will be tempered in areas closer to the coast, including in Boston, where the first storm will bring a mixture of rain and snow, and the second storm will bring heavy rain during the height of the storm. Coastal areas, though, will be pounded by a powerful easterly wind (wind from the east), raising the specter of flooding, beach erosion, and widespread power outages, and snow will accumulate in these areas before the storm ends.

The first storm is associated with the storm that brought heavy snow to parts of the Midwest on Monday, and the second storm will blossom into a powerhouse over New England as moisture streams in from the South and combines with a powerful upper-level storm system from the West.

Any significant accumulation of snow will likely remain to the north of the area from Baltimore southward to Washington, D.C. It will, however, be the defining storm of the season for much of the Northeast.

Paul Yeager is a 20-plus-year meteorologist and a writer.