A person rides a carriage as snow falls in Central Park, New York, USA, on January 6, 2024.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
Snow, sleet and rain lashed from Virginia to Pennsylvania on Saturday as a weekend winter storm moved up the East Coast and promised to bring more of the same to New York and Boston.
Warm temperatures collided with the southern areas of the storm to create unstable air, violent winds and a tornado in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, National Weather Service meteorologist Will Redman said.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Garrett Pingol said the tornado knocked over utility lines and small boats, but caused no injuries.
The main storm brought snow, ice and “freezing sleet” to northern Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon, with the front moving northeast by evening, according to the weather service’s Baltimore-Washington office.
Public schools in Loudoun County, Virginia canceled campus activities and closed administrative offices Saturday.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said motorists should think about when to hit the road, as they could encounter icy surfaces and “skins” during the storm.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission issued a similar warning and advised drivers to avoid unnecessary travel.
“Additionally, agencies will implement various speed and vehicle restrictions throughout the storm,” state officials said in a news release.
Snow is expected to fall in western Maryland’s Appalachian Mountains through Sunday, the weather service said.
As the front moved into the Philadelphia area and northern New Jersey Saturday night, it was expected to produce snow at a rate of 1 inch per hour, the weather service said.
New York Gov. Kathy Holchul told WCBS Newsradio 880 that New York, without a sustained snowstorm for 692 days, was unlikely to see accumulations, but much of the rest of the state could see 8 to 12 inches of snow ahead.
“The plows are ready, we’ve got staff deployed, we’ve got the emergency operations center up and running — we’ve been doing it since Wednesday in anticipation,” he said.
Early Saturday night, a trace of snow was recorded in nearby Newark, New Jersey, the weather service said.
A winter storm warning was in effect from New York to New England. It also included northern New Jersey.
The storm comes amid a snowfall drought, with some locations seeing record numbers.
New York’s 692 days surpassed the previous record of 383 days set on March 21, 1998. Baltimore reached 707 days through Friday, with the previous record of 672 days set on Dec. 25, 2012.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said at a news conference that the state has salt piles ready, extra utility crews and expects to have “hundreds of plows out there in the ground.”
“I think this storm is long overdue,” he said. “It’s been over two years since we’ve had a storm of this size, 6 to 12 inches. We’ve got a lot of salt piled up here; it’s been piling up for a while (and) some shiny new snow plows. “
Boston is likely to see heavy snowfall late Saturday night, the weather service said, with accumulations of 6 to 8 inches possible.