According to the National Weather Service, snowfalls of 7-12 inches (18-30 cm) are possible in New York and Pennsylvania’s northern regions. Winds gusting up to 45 mph (72 km/h) can be expected. Although Philadelphia residents are only expecting a few inches of snow they were warned that blizzard-like conditions could occur at times. Later, a flash freeze is possible due to rapidly melting temperatures.
Gale warnings were issued for coastal New Jersey and Delaware. Wind gusts could reach 40 to 50 mph (65 to 95 km/h). Forecasters warned of possible tree damage, power outages and rough boating conditions. Other areas were subject to a wind advisory.
Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist at the Weather Service Office in College Park Maryland said that moderate to heavy snow had fallen across “a rather large region” of the eastern United States. However, the storm was moving rapidly to the northeast.
He said that parts of the Tennessee Valley, central Appalachia, and New York had seen snowfalls as high as 8 to 12 inches (20-30 centimteres). Areas in Pennsylvania, New York, and northern New England would likely see similar amounts of snow before the storm left. On Saturday afternoon, snowfalls of 10 to 25 centimeters or more were reported in New York and Pennsylvania. Eastern Pennsylvania had received 6 inches (15 cm) of snow.
He said that the storm’s intensifying low pressure was generating high winds and freezing any moisture on roads, making it dangerous to travel in icy conditions.
The state police stated Saturday afternoon that the crash involving 73 vehicles along a Pennsylvania highway resulted in multiple injuries. However, no life-threatening injuries were reported immediately. Trooper Megan Ammerman stated that the crash occurred shortly after 2:20 p.m. on Saturday in Cumberland County.
Other details and the cause of the crash were not immediately available. WCAU-TV reported that the temperatures were in the lower to mid-20s and well below freezing. Wind gusts of 30-40 mph (50-60 kph), also contributed to reduced visibility.
As rain became snow, slick roads were also responsible for many crashes in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Multiple crashes involving cars sliding on snowy roads were reported to the New Hampshire State Police. Officials in Vermont warned of potential blizzard conditions, blowing snow, and the possibility that travel could be difficult to impossible due to the expected 14 inches (35 cm) of snow.
PPL reported that more than 10,750 customers were without power in eastern Pennsylvania and central Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, but this number had fallen to 5,000 hours later. FirstEnergy reported 10,350 customers without power in Pennsylvania and New York, but this number was down to 7,650 by the end of the day.
On Friday and Saturday, the system brought snow and rain to many Southern states, including Alabama and Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Louisiana. Some parts of the Mississippi Delta and northern Mississippi saw snowfalls between 2 and 3 inches (5 to 9 cm) in places.
Many inches of snow fell on eastern Tennessee, causing delays of at least one day in the season opening of Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Knoxville’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was cancelled. Additionally, several inches of snow in central Tennessee contributed to numerous crashes on interstate highways.
A number of St. Patrick’s Day parades were delayed elsewhere. These included events in Albany, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania. The Sunday parade in Philadelphia was still planned to take place. This year, the holiday falls on Thursday.
