NYC Set for Weekend Snow as Central US Preps for Arctic Cold
(Bloomberg) -- New York City and parts of New Jersey could see the first significant snow of the winter season, as a blast of frigid Canadian air pushes across the central and eastern US.
Up to four inches (10 centimeters) of snow could fall across the New York metro area beginning Saturday night, according to the US National Weather Service. Winter weather advisories have been issued from Montauk at the tip of Long Island to Dover, Delaware, as snow is expected to create slippery driving conditions and icy walkways.
Meanwhile, much of the Midwest and Southeast will likely see plunging temperatures as a fast-moving “clipper” system blows east. By Sunday, the region’s warmest daily temperatures will be 20F to 30F (11C to 17C) below normal in some areas, according to the US Weather Prediction Center, with wind chill around -15F to -25F in parts of Illinois and Indiana.
“In the eastern US, the cold is more like a glancing blow,” said WPC meteorologist Brian Hurley. “It’s closer to 10F to 20F below normal, though, so it’s still going to be cold.”
To prepare, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, issued a Cold Weather Alert early Friday for utilities and power-plant owners serving a large swath of its 15-state coverage area. MISO serves about 45 million people in an area spreading from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana.
Crews are directed to winterize units and prepare fuel supplies, according to MISO. The alert sets in Saturday evening Eastern Time, extending through late Monday night.
PJM Interconnection LLC — the largest US grid — also directed utilities and power generation owners throughout the Midwest to prepare for increased demand and report alternate fuel capabilities throughout the weekend into Monday night.
Despite the oncoming freeze, gas prices continued to fall Friday in anticipation of a rapid warm-up late next week. Hurley said temperatures are expected to jump 10F to 15F above normal in some of the same areas jolted by Arctic cold.
“It’s basically taking Northern California air and just kind of spreading it eastward,” Hurley said.
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