States of Emergency Declared in LA, AL, WV and NJ

Massive Winter Storm Causes States of Emergency from U.S. South to New England

A massive winter storm stretching all the way from southwest Texas to southern New England is forecast to dump up to 30cm (two feet) of snow on parts of the eastern United States, prompting the governors in at least four states—Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia and New Jersey—to declare states of emergency, as of posting. States of emergency declared due to previous storms are still in effect for much of the rest of the region in the affected regions.

The storm, which is affecting more than 120 million people,  has forced hundreds of schools, businesses and local governments to close, grounding thousands of flights, including about 1,800 Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest forecast:

Winter Storm from the Mexican Border in Texas to southern New England through Thursday

A widespread winter weather event is underway from southwest Texas into parts of southern New England.  Sleet and freezing rain are expected from south/central Texas into the Southeast …

Areas from the southern Plains across the Mid-Atlantic into New England could see “significant snowfall.”

A rather vigorous and elongated piece of energy in the mid to upper levels, moving from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic today and tomorrow, will interact with an arctic air mass and surface cold front plunging south and eastward into the Southeastern states this evening.

Significant snowfall of up to 12 inches is possible from the Tennessee Valley to the central Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, according to the forecast.

Moderate to heavy rain from the southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, combined with snow melt, could result in flood or flash flooding, especially across the lower Ohio Valley and western Mid-Atlantic regions.

Behind the front, winter hangs on tight as temperatures plummet across the eastern third of the nation. By Thursday evening, cold high pressure dominates resulting in unseasonably cold temperatures from the Plains to the eastern seaboard.

Temperatures for the remainder of the week are expected to fall by as much as 35 degrees below normal, said the forecast.

Possible New Snow Record for Beantown

The Walking City, which recorded its coldest February this year, could receive an additional 8cm (3 inches) of snow from the storm, said NWS.

Boston needs just 4.8cm more of powdery precipitation to break its all time record for total snowfall in a winter of 273.4 cm (107.6 in), set in 1995-96.