Northeast Braces For Heavy Snow As Temps Plunge Overnight

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Just hours after record-challenging warmth occurs, temperatures will plunge 15 to 30 degrees overnight, bringing accumulating snow to most of the Northeast by Thursday morning.

Cold air will begin to rush into the area late Wednesday night from the north and west. At the same time, an area of low pressure pushing in from the west will move off the coast, and the timing is perfect – the system will rapidly intensify, throwing moisture back to the eastern seaboard just in time for it to meet up with the cold air. This is a recipe for snow, and heavy snow at that.

TIMING

The storm will begin with a brief period of rain in some areas, but will quickly change over to snow as temperatures plummet.

- Late Wednesday night the edge of the system arrives.

- 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., snow, rain and sleet arrives depending on where you live—more mixing the further south you go.

- By 5 a.m. through 10 a.m., the heaviest snow will hit the region.

- 10 a.m to 2 p.m., the system gradually tapers off.

"The amount of ample moisture that we're going to be drawing in from this is really going to help us accumulate some snow very easily," says CBS 3 meteorologist Katie Fehlinger.

IMPACTS

In the wake of all the warmth, roads will initially be warm and respond well to the snow, with melting occurring during the early phase of the storm. But as the snow continues to fall heavily, it will begin to pile up and even main roads may become snow-covered and slushy.

"We could see snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour," says Fehlinger.

- Heavy wet snow

- Wind Gusts around 25-30 mph

- Roads refreeze overnight

- Major travel slowdowns

HOW MUCH SNOW:

- 8-12 inches: Eastern Poconos, North Jersey, New York City

-4-8 inches: Philadelphia and the surrounding area

-2-4 inches: Delaware and parts of South Jersey

- Coating- 2 inches: Along the coast

WEATHER WARNINGS:

Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories go into effect overnight for nearly the entire viewing area:

On Wednesday night, the state of New Jersey announced the closing of all state offices on Thursday for non-essential employees.

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