Snow storm slams east coast, brings chilling temperatures, heavy snow

By Catherine Hilliard
News Editor

Residents across the East Coast brace for the major snow storm that is planned to hit the region this weekend, with the potential to bring in record amounts of snowfall. Lead meteorologist Rich Otto of the National Weather Service said in a Jan. 20 ABC News article by Avianne Tan, Max Golembo, and Melissa Griffin, the storm could impact regions as north as Boston and as south as northern North Carolina.

Baltimore and Washington D.C., under a blizzard watch, are set to be hit the hardest, with a possibility of one to two feet of snow. In New York, it is a predicted six -12 inches of snow, and Philadelphia eight -14 inches. Boston is only planned to be on the outer ridge of the storm and will only receive one to three inches.

The storm is set to hit the southern East Coast mainly in Tennessee and Kentucky, on Thursday night into Friday morning before moving east to the Mid- Atlantic. Strong winds of 30-50 miles per hour and coastal flooding are also problems concerning the storm.

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Blizzard and storm watches have been issued across the country in parts of Maryland, Washington, Virginia, West Virginia, and Arkansas and continue until Saturday. According to a Jan. 21 ABC News article by Meghan Keneally, temperatures are predicted to stay in the upper 20s to low 30s during the storm, but some regions who receive more freezing rain than snow can expect temperatures around 32 degrees Fahrenheit. “I have been watching the storm as is comes to our area, and my family and I have already bought bags of salt, snow shovels and extra supplies just in case. This storm seems to hitting everyone on the East Coast, and it’s better to be safe than sorry,” sophomore Charles Marone said.Residents in numerous states are being advised to keep their travel plans limited, and prepare for a potentially damaging weather this weekend.

According to the National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini, tens of millions of people could be effected in addition to the seven million impacted by the icy and dangerous conditions. It has been confirmed that two people have already died in North Carolina due to slick roads and icy conditions, and more than 100 crashes in Virginia as snow begins to cover the area.

“This is a big storm, and it’s important for people to take precautions and be aware,” Otto stated. “This system will likely impact a lot of travel, including flights and roads, so people need to be prepared.”