Batten down the hatches!!!!!!!!!
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U.S. Northeast Braces for Its First Winter Snowstorm (Update3)
Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The northeastern U.S. is bracing for its first major winter snowstorm this weekend as forecasters predict as much as a foot of snow will fall on New York City, while Washington and Philadelphia may get half a foot.
A storm is closing in from the Great Plains and will likely bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to cities along the northeast tomorrow, the National Weather Service said. The snow may last through the weekend, affecting travel plans and a National Football League playoff game in Philadelphia.
``The snow could become heavy at times late Saturday afternoon and Saturday night,'' the National Weather Service's forecast office in New York said in a Winter Storm Watch advisory. ``Snowfall is then expected to continue into Sunday morning with the potential for up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow, especially in New York City.''
The National Weather Service's Winter Storm Watch, which is issued when forecasters expect hazardous winter weather to hit within the next 48 hours, extends from southern Virginia to northern Massachusetts.
The snow could blanket areas along Interstate 95, the major roadway that links northeastern cities, including Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles will face the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football Conference's championship game at 3 p.m. local time on Sunday. While the snow is expected to taper off in the morning, 8 inches or more may fall on southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Roads Clear Before Kickoff
The Pennsylvania Transportation Department has 2,300 snowplows on hand and wants to have roads clear before kickoff, spokesman Steve Chizmar said in an interview. The state is advising people to avoid driving this weekend.
``It's imperative that motorists avoid unnecessary travel and stay off the roads,'' Chizmar said in an interview today. ``If this storm turns out as it is currently being forecast, that will allow crews to provide better service because there will be fewer vehicles to get around.''
In Boston, snow is expected to start falling tomorrow night, with the heaviest amounts coming after midnight, Neil Strauss, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts, said. The Boston area may get as much as a foot of snow this weekend.
``Currently models are diverging a little bit on exactly what is going to happen, but right now the trend has been for heavier amounts instead of lighter,'' Strauss said in an interview today.
Football Fans: Bundle Up
For fans attending football games, as well as others heading outdoors this weekend, health-care professionals recommend wearing extra layers, moving around as much as possible and limiting alcohol consumption.
``The biggest concern is frostbite or hypothermia,'' said Al Rodrigues, director of nursing at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's emergency room in Hamilton, New Jersey. ``Alcohol itself isn't recommended because it leads to additional heat loss, which is obviously something you don't want in the cold.''
A storm that moved through Raleigh, North Carolina, earlier this week caused traffic to back up for as much as eight hours on Jan. 19. While just an inch of snow fell, cold temperatures and an unusually high number of vehicles on roads generated gridlock, said John Rukavina, public safety director for the state's Wake County.
``It was the perfect storm of schools being let out early and the right granular of snow falling on a slick surface,'' he said.
While December and January weather has been mild, forecasters predicted before the start of winter that temperatures would be about 15 degrees colder than normal this season.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Jesse Westbrook in Washington at jwestbrook1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Glenn Holdcraft at gholdcraft@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 21, 2005 13:58 EST
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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=top_world_news&sid=a4c2eqZrEBvQ
U.S. Northeast Braces for Its First Winter Snowstorm (Update3)
Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The northeastern U.S. is bracing for its first major winter snowstorm this weekend as forecasters predict as much as a foot of snow will fall on New York City, while Washington and Philadelphia may get half a foot.
A storm is closing in from the Great Plains and will likely bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to cities along the northeast tomorrow, the National Weather Service said. The snow may last through the weekend, affecting travel plans and a National Football League playoff game in Philadelphia.
``The snow could become heavy at times late Saturday afternoon and Saturday night,'' the National Weather Service's forecast office in New York said in a Winter Storm Watch advisory. ``Snowfall is then expected to continue into Sunday morning with the potential for up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow, especially in New York City.''
The National Weather Service's Winter Storm Watch, which is issued when forecasters expect hazardous winter weather to hit within the next 48 hours, extends from southern Virginia to northern Massachusetts.
The snow could blanket areas along Interstate 95, the major roadway that links northeastern cities, including Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles will face the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football Conference's championship game at 3 p.m. local time on Sunday. While the snow is expected to taper off in the morning, 8 inches or more may fall on southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Roads Clear Before Kickoff
The Pennsylvania Transportation Department has 2,300 snowplows on hand and wants to have roads clear before kickoff, spokesman Steve Chizmar said in an interview. The state is advising people to avoid driving this weekend.
``It's imperative that motorists avoid unnecessary travel and stay off the roads,'' Chizmar said in an interview today. ``If this storm turns out as it is currently being forecast, that will allow crews to provide better service because there will be fewer vehicles to get around.''
In Boston, snow is expected to start falling tomorrow night, with the heaviest amounts coming after midnight, Neil Strauss, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts, said. The Boston area may get as much as a foot of snow this weekend.
``Currently models are diverging a little bit on exactly what is going to happen, but right now the trend has been for heavier amounts instead of lighter,'' Strauss said in an interview today.
Football Fans: Bundle Up
For fans attending football games, as well as others heading outdoors this weekend, health-care professionals recommend wearing extra layers, moving around as much as possible and limiting alcohol consumption.
``The biggest concern is frostbite or hypothermia,'' said Al Rodrigues, director of nursing at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's emergency room in Hamilton, New Jersey. ``Alcohol itself isn't recommended because it leads to additional heat loss, which is obviously something you don't want in the cold.''
A storm that moved through Raleigh, North Carolina, earlier this week caused traffic to back up for as much as eight hours on Jan. 19. While just an inch of snow fell, cold temperatures and an unusually high number of vehicles on roads generated gridlock, said John Rukavina, public safety director for the state's Wake County.
``It was the perfect storm of schools being let out early and the right granular of snow falling on a slick surface,'' he said.
While December and January weather has been mild, forecasters predicted before the start of winter that temperatures would be about 15 degrees colder than normal this season.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Jesse Westbrook in Washington at jwestbrook1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Glenn Holdcraft at gholdcraft@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 21, 2005 13:58 EST
:biggthump)
