Late winter storm bringing snow to U.S. South, Northeast

A late winter storm dropped snow that could pile up over a foot high and drew strong winds to the northeastern United States on Saturday after the system brought wintry conditions to the Deep South.

The National Weather Service said 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 centimeters) could be expected in northern areas of Pennsylvania and New York with winds gusting as high as 45 mph (72 kph). Philadelphia residents, while expecting only a few inches of snow, were warned that blizzard-like conditions were possible at one point, and later a flash freeze was possible with wet surfaces rapidly becoming icy due to falling temperatures.

Gale warnings were in effect in coastal New Jersey and Delaware areas, with gusts of 40 to 50 mph possible and forecasters warning of tree damage and resulting power outages as well as rough boating conditions. A wind advisory was in effect for other areas.

Meteorologist Andrew Orrison of the weather service office in College Park, Maryland, said moderate to heavy snow had been seen over “a rather large area” of the eastern United States, but the storm was moving quickly to the northeast.

Parts of the Tennessee Valley and central Appalachia had already seen as much as 8 to 12 inches of snow, and areas of Pennsylvania, New York and northern New England were expected to receive similar amounts before the storm pulled away early Sunday, he said.

Intensifying low pressure accompanying the storm had been generating high winds, and plummeting temperatures would freeze any moisture on roadways, making for hazardous travel in icy conditions, he said.

The system also brought snow and rain to several southern states, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, on Friday and Saturday. Parts of northern Mississippi and portions of the Mississippi Delta also saw between 2 and 3.5 inches (5 to 9 centimeters) of snow.

Several inches of snow fell in eastern Tennessee, delaying by at least a day the season opening of Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. In Knoxville, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was canceled and several inches of snow in the middle of the state contributed to multiple crashes on interstate highways.

A number of St. Patrick’s Day parades were postponed due to the weather, including events scheduled in Albany, New York, and Erie and Scranton, Pennsylvania, as well as suburban Philadelphia. The parade scheduled Sunday in the city of Philadelphia was still scheduled to go on. The holiday falls on Thursday this year.