Monday Morning Update: Winter Storm Stella
- Jackson Dill
- Mar 13, 2017
- 3 min read
As we get even closer to the main event of Winter Storm Stella, the confidence of what will happen with this storm is finally high. To sum up what I'm going to talk about below, a crippling and paralyzing winter storm is likely to impact the I-95 corridor and most of the Northeast with blizzard conditions, very heavy snow, and coastal flooding. Please make sure you are prepared by the end of the day TODAY!
Threats:
Very heavy snow from Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening.
Blizzard conditions for most of the area much of Tuesday.
Scattered power outages likely due to wind gusts up to 60 mph.
Very dangerous and treacherous travel.
Coastal flooding up to 2 to 3 feet above normal tides.
Current Alerts:
There is a Blizzard Warning in effect for all locations of our area from 12AM Tuesday through 12AM Wednesday. There is also a Coastal Flood Advisory in effect for the southwestern Connecticut coast. This will be in effect from 12PM through 4PM, which is during the peak of high tide.
Forecast:
Now that we are less than 24 hours away from the main event, there is not more uncertainty anymore, therefore we will not be making a discussion because there are no more implications with this forecast to discuss.
Timing: Snow will begin between 2AM and 5AM, continuing all day long, then winding down during the middle of the night Tuesday night. The heaviest of the snow and the worst conditions will be during most of the daylight hours of Tuesday with blizzard conditions occurring. The models are even honing in on a heavy band of snow around noon, which would produce snowfall rates at around 4 inches per hour! That will definitely produce whiteout conditions.
Winds: Winds will be very strong as this storm moves through. These winds will be the strongest from the morning through the evening. Gusts are expected to reach 50 to 65 mph at times, so that will lead to blizzard and whiteout conditions. It will also lead to the likelihood for scattered power outages.
Snowfall: This will be the biggest snowstorm of the season because over a foot of snow is in the forecast. As of my newest forecast, I upped my totals and narrowed the range to at least 18 to 24 inches for all of the area.
The National Weather Service gives chances for certain amounts of snow, and those chances are very high. Below are the chances for greater than 6, 8, 12, and 18 inches of snow, respectively, in Danbury, CT:
The snow should remain light and fluffy most of the time for inland locations because temperatures will be colder in the mid to upper 20's. At the coast, it will be slightly milder, especially during the beginning of the storm. That's why the snow will be heavier and wetter to start, then it should get fluffier by the end of the event as temperatures fall from around the freezing mark. Also at the coast, there is still the chance for mixing, but even if there is mixing, it shouldn't last for long.
Overall:
A dangerous, crippling winter storm named Stella is on the way Tuesday. Travel will be at a standstill where I anticipate major roads/highways to be closed. Schools will certainly be closed on Tuesday. I've been asked what will happen with schools on Wednesday as well, and I believe another snow day is more likely than not. Also airports may have ground stops, and hundreds to thousands of flights across the Northeast will be canceled. Just stay home, snuggle up in front of the fireplace, and watch the snowflakes fall through the windows of your house. Lastly, I just want to add if you or your kids want to play in the snow outside during the snow, I would wait to do that until Wednesday because it will be dangerous out with those very low visibilities and strong winds.
Stay with Jackson's Weather through the end of Winter Storm Stella for the latest online and on social.
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