Four Things to Know About Winter Storm Niko
In a winter when Northeast snowstorms have been few and far between, Winter Storm Niko will bring more than a half-foot of snow to the major cities of the Northeast.
Here are four things to expect from this winter storm.
1. Six Inches to More Than One Foot of Snow Will Fall
A wide swath of the Northeast will see heavy snow, with high snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour at times. In fact, as of early Thursday morning, Albany, New York reported about 4 inches of snow in one hour.
More than six inches of fresh snow are expected from eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey to central Maine, including New York City, Boston and parts of the Philadelphia metro area.
Coastal parts of southeastern New England and eastern Long Island may approach blizzard conditions into Thursday evening.
2. Travel Will Be Disrupted Thursday
Niko will continue to spread snow from the mid-Atlantic across New England Thursday morning. Much of the Interstate 95 corridor will see snow, heavy at times, during the morning commute.
The Thursday evening commute may also be impacted for coastal areas of New England, like Boston and Augusta, Maine.
Travel should be avoided, if possible – particularly during the peak of the storm.
3. Timing the Storm: When Will Snow Stop?
Snow will gradually wane from west to east beginning around lunchtime in the mid-Atlantic, Appalachians and interior Northeast.
Snow will slowly move away from the shore and the major cities of southern New England during the evening, but could hang on in Downeast Maine into tonight.
A quick dose of lake-effect snow will rotate from south of the upper Great Lakes to east of the lower Great Lakes late Thursday into Friday following Winter Storm Niko, with mainly light snow. A quick-moving clipper system will also move through over the weekend.
4. The Northeast is in a Snowfall Deficit and Needs the Moisture
For some cities, Winter Storm Niko has the potential to bring more snow than any other winter storm so far this season. Many Northeastern cities are well behind in their season-to-date snowfall. Some cities could eradicate their snow deficits during Niko.
