Nor’easter Bringing Cold Rain, Snow, and Winds to the East Coast

Posted: April 15, 2021 4:29 pm

A rare April nor’easter is bearing down on the East Coast, bringing along plummeting temperatures, heavy rain, gusty winds, and snowfall to the higher elevations.

When and Where: The storm is beginning to take shape on Thursday afternoon and is expected to continue through Friday and into the early parts of the weekend. This major shift in the weather is in direct contrast to the late spring-like weather the region had been enjoying lately.

Although this particular nor’easter will not rival a typical winter storm, it will pack a big enough punch to create rough seas and bring strong wind gusts inland. The strong winds are expected to set up along the upper mid-Atlantic coast and will stretch up through New England. Gusts of up to 40 mph are predicted from northern New Jersey all the way into Maine.

While the winds are expected to fire up on Thursday night, the peak of the storm will not happen until later in the day on Friday.

Precipitation Forecast: The storm will carry a significant amount of precipitation with it. While the precipitation will start as rain, conditions will be ripe for it to bring in cooler air and facilitate the change from rain to snow in higher elevations. Snow levels may drop as low as 750 feet, particularly in eastern New York state and through the entirety of the New England region.

Some areas of the Berkshires, Adirondacks, Catskills, the Green Mountains, and the White Mountains may see snowfall amounts of up to six inches. The highest reaches of the Green and White Mountains may see up to 20 inches of snow.

Meteorologists are warning that even Boston may see some snow mixed in with the rain on Friday. However, most of the roads in the populated Northeast corridor will just stay wet. The warm ground temperatures will likely prevent significant accumulation of snow on roads at the lower elevations. Because the majority of the snow is expected to fall during the day on Friday, the warmer temperatures will hopefully prevent inclement driving conditions for most areas affected by the storm.

New York City will most likely just see rain out of the system. While Philadelphia and Washington, DC may see some isolated showers, the rain will not be as widespread in these areas.

Relief from Dry Conditions: The rain and snow will be a welcome sight for those worried about the ongoing drier than normal conditions throughout the Northeast. This nor’easter is forecast to deliver up to two inches of rain to most areas, helping to provide relief to parched land. The top rainfall amounts will fall throughout central New England and eastern portions of New York state.

The long-range forecast shows that the East Coast is not out of the woods for cold weather yet. Another round of cold air is predicted to move into the region early next week. Frosts and freezes are not out of the question over the next week or two.

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