Next stop on the Snow Train.... Northeast

Yeah, I know that was a little corny but that is certainly what this weather pattern is starting to feel like.  We've been spoiled over the last few years with seasonal snowfall totals in Newark, NJ well below average.  The average seasonal total for Newark, NJ is unofficially 27.0".  We nearly beat that with the December Blizzard where Newark officially received 24.5".  For the 2010-2011 winter season, the snow train just keeps chugging along.  We've had a coastal low pressure system that bombed out to produce blizzard conditions.  We've had a clipper system and a norlun trough push through the region.  Now, we will see a dual Low pressure system impact the region with yet another 8"+ of snow.

Click picture for a larger image

This system has already been responsible for shutting down much of the Southeast.  Alabama has declared a state of emergency for the amount of snow/ice they received and Atlanta, Georgia came to a standstill today as they attempted to shovel out from 4"-8" of snow/ice they received.
Atlanta does not have the capability of handling a storm like this as significant snowfall in Atlanta is quite rare.  The problem the south will have now is the freezing temperatures that will follow behind the storm.  Temperatures will only climb to the mid 30's across much of the southeast which could continue to hamper much of the clean-up efforts after the storm.  All of this will be coming our way Tuesday night into Wednesday afternoon.

So, now that I've mentioned what this storm has already done, let's talk about what this storm will do over the next 48 hours.  Currently, we have a Low pressure system over Florida that will travel north along the coastline by way of a stationary Atlantic Front.  At the same time, a trough over the Ohio Valley will develop into a weak Low pressure and travel eastward and on a collision course with the coastal low.  Late Tuesday afternoon, these two Low pressures will interact.  The coastal low, being stronger, will feed off the energy the inland low provides and continue to strengthen Wednesday morning as it becomes the sole low pressure system and bombs out off the coast of Long Island.
Light snow should begin between 8pm and 10pm, with the heavier bands of snow developing just before sunrise.  There is a lot of moisture with this storm; however, it is a fast moving system so it won't have enough time to dump over a foot of snow in our area.  Northeast NJ should see snow totals ranging from 8"-10" from this storm, while higher snow totals will be found in Monmouth County, NJ and areas east of NYC. Those areas could see 10"-15" of snow.  Again, as was the case with previous storms, these totals are dependent upon where the heavier snow bands will develop.  Many of the forecast models are in agreement that the heavier bands will be along the shoreline and east of NYC.
This storm will produce strong winds in excess of 35mph with higher gusts.  Although these winds are strong enough to result in blizzard conditions, the precipitation should be over with by the time these winds arrive; therefore, no reduction of visibility should take place.  As a result, this will just be a significant winter storm and not a blizzard.
When this storm passes Wednesday afternoon, temperatures will plummet and we will experience temperatures as low as 8-10 degrees below the normal temperatures for this time of the year.  All of that  I will discuss in future posts.  For now, enjoy yet ANOTHER snow storm!
I will leave you with this picture taken by NASA of a snow covered England. I guess it could be worse for us, huh?