Fourth Nor’easter Arrives in Northeast Just in Time for the Start of Spring

Spring arrived at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, just as East Coast residents were heading to stores to purchase bread, milk, shovels, salt, candles, flashlights, and batteries in preparation for the fourth nor’easter in less than three weeks.

In anticipation of the storm, over 3,200 flights have been cancelled on Wednesday in the United States alone, most along the I-95 corridor, which is expected to see as much as 15” (38 centimeters) of snow before the day is over.

Light to moderate snow mixed with freezing rain and sleet was falling Tuesday afternoon across the mid-Atlantic states, while parts of Virginia and Maryland had already recorded as much as 8” (20 centimeters) of wet snow.

Meteorologists expect wind gusts of up to 60 mph (96 km/h) in southern New England Wednesday night, and gusts of 40 mph (64 km/h) are expected in the New York metropolitan area.

Although these winds are not predicted to be as damaging as the last two storms, residents should expect widespread power outages due to the impact of heavy snow on power lines.

In New York City, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that the city’s public schools will remain closed on Wednesday. Governors across the region including those of Delaware and New Jersey declared states of emergency in advance of the storm, while the city of Philadelphia declared a “snow emergency” and said that all municipal offices would remain closed for the day.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)