Major Winter Storm to Batter Midwest, Northeast

EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
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Powerful winter storm stretching from Midwest to Mid-Atlantic  threatens to reach blizzard conditions

Much below normal temperatures are forecast to continue across the Northern Tier, with heavy snow for portions of the Midwest and Northeast, Thursday and Friday, said the National Weather Service (NWS).

• The mayor of Bridgeport has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
• Boston Declares a Snow Emergency

“Very cold temperatures will continue across the Midwest where high pressure continues to linger. Heavy snowfall will be possible today from the Midwest to central New York along a frontal boundary. By tomorrow, several systems will converge toward the Mid-Atlantic resulting in snowfall from northwestern Arkansas to New England, with the heaviest amounts expected from the Appalachians into Maine.”

Blizzard Warning, Winter Storm Warning, High Wind Warning, Storm Warning, Avalanche Warning, Flood Warning, Lake Effect Snow Warning, Gale Warning, Wind Chill Warning, Heavy Freezing Spray Warning, Flood Advisory, Special Weather Statement, Air Quality Alert, Air Stagnation Advisory and Hazardous Weather Outlook are among a plethora of warnings, watches and advisories issued by NWS.

Storm total snowfalls of up to 14 inches is forecast for parts of New York and Massachusetts, according to a Winter Storm Warnings issued for the states.

National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
Issued 7 am EST Thursday, January 2, 2014 by NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD

High Temperature for Wednesday, January 1, 2014 (as received by 7 am EST January 2)

• 85 degrees (29.4ºC) at Naples, FL

Low Temperature for Thursday, January 2, 2014 (as received by 7 am EST January 2)

• -46 degrees (-43.3ºC) at Embarrass, MN

Temperature Spread:  131 degrees

U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap)  for Thursday, January 2, 2014. Source: NWS. Map Enhanced by FIRE-EARTH. UPDATE

A complex storm system will raise havoc on the Eastern U.S. late this week

A swath of light snows will continue to develop to the north of a frontal boundary stretched from the Middle Mississippi Valley to the northern Mid-Atlantic states Wednesday evening, while a rich supply of moisture
surrounding a strengthening front in the Gulf of Mexico will continue to fuel an organized axis of rains across Central Gulf coast and Southeast.

On Thursday, these two features will begin to merge as the front stretched from the Middle Mississippi Valley to the northern Mid-Atlantic states pushes east/southeastward as a cold front and a surface low developing along the front in the Gulf lifts northeastward towards northern Florida. The complex interaction of these two systems will raise havoc on the Eastern U.S. late this week.

Accumulating snows are expected across the Ohio Valley, northern Mid-Atlantic states, and northeast, while moderate to heavy rains will push through the Southeast. The bigger story with these merging systems will most likely be the rapidly deepening surface low off the Eastern Seaboard early Friday, which will bring strong winds and bitter temperatures into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. This deepening low will also have the potential to hit coastal New England with heavy snows before it races into the Canadian Maritimes. Source: WPC/NOAA