Monsoon's call for the Tuesday-Wednesday storm
The Tuesday-Wednesday system is looking impressive. Snow totals will not rival those of this past weekend, but they won't be terribly far behind. (Jeez – could we get a nice, moderate 4-6 inch snowstorm this winter?)
The storm (a bona fide Nor’easter) will actually hit us in two waves. Here’s what to expect. A reminder that timing and snowfall predictions are for Berks and northern Lancaster Counties unless otherwise specified.
Light snow arrives Tuesday by 5 or 6pm. A few inches will accumulate, then there’ll be a lull early Wednesday morning. School administrators should not be deceived by this break, however, into thinking that it’s all over with. Quite the contrary.
The second round of precipitation will crank up around morning rush Wednesday or a bit later and continue right through Wednesday evening rush. From this second round alone we could see 9 inches of accumulation. Snow tapers and ends by Wednesday evening.
The second "round" of the storm, right around midday Wednesday.
But here, my snow-besieged friends, is where it really gets fun. By mid-morning on Wednesday, the northwest winds will crank up, reaching their height (sustained winds in the 20-25mph range, gusting past 40mph) on Wednesday afternoon and evening. What these near-blizzard conditions portend for us is blowing, drifting, extremely poor visibility, and power outages—not to mention wind chills plunging into the lower teens—right when we’re trying to clean up this mess. This wind—plus the dumping of a foot of snow on top of the foot and a half most of us got just a few days ago—may extend delays and cancellations in Thursday.
Accumulation:
It's looking like 12-16 inches for Reading and northern Lancaster County. A bit more toward south-central Pennsylvania in places like Columbia and York—perhaps approaching 20 inches again! Less in north Jersey and the coasts (on the coasts, there could be a mix) and toward the Poconos—4 to 6 inches at most in these areas.
Cancellation/delay potentials:
Tuesday
Early Dismissal 20%
Wednesday
Delay 25%; Cancellation 90%
Thursday
Delay 75%; Cancellation 55%
Whew. Stay tuned, as always, for updates on this extraordinary winter weather!