Big Lakes Could Get Up To 12 Inches Of Snow From New Storm: Meteorologist

The Great Lakes region could get up to 12 inches more snow in a new storm next week after being hit by a lake-effect storm this holiday weekend, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva said Newsweek on Saturday.

The current storm began Thursday afternoon into Friday and caused a white Thanksgiving in some parts of the Midwest and Northeast. The onset of winter peaked Friday into Friday night, with “very impressive amounts” of snow falling in northwestern Pennsylvania, DaSilva said in a telephone interview Newsweek.

“There are reports of 30 inches of snowfall in northwestern Pennsylvania,” DaSilva said, referring to the number of snowfalls in the area. “And in Western New York there will be areas that will certainly get more than 40 inches, maybe 50 (inches).”

DaSilva said the lake-effect storm will last until Tuesday, at which point a so-called “Alberta Clipper” will arrive.

An Alberta Clipper is a fast-moving winter storm that originates in the Canadian province of Alberta, but can also come from surrounding provinces or even Montana. Typically, a clipper will shed about 1 to 3 inches of snow, but larger amounts are possible. Clippers also typically bring colder temperatures and gusty winds.

An AccuWeather map shows 16 states in the upper Midwest and Northeast affected by the clipper: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan , Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota.

DaSilva said some areas already affected by the current storm “won’t really get a significant break” as the clipper moves through the U.S. next week.

He said AccuWeather is forecasting that the bands of snow produced by the new storm “could be in a similar area to the areas impacted by this storm” but that they could “move around a bit.”

DaSilva said the snow bands created by the clipper on the east side of the Great Lakes will not have the same amount of snow as the lake bands produced by the current storm, but “can still be quite significant.”

The clipper is expected to bring about 1 to 3 inches of snow from northern Minnesota to Wisconsin and southern Michigan, DaSilva said, adding, “Maybe even an inch will make it to southern or central Ohio.”

“Then we’ll see 1 to 3 inches, maybe across Pennsylvania and then even into New England. There will be larger amounts where these lake effect bands form. Three to six inches may occur on the east side of this (Great). “Even in northern Pennsylvania, parts of western New York and northern New England you can see three to six inches,” DaSilva said. “And then the areas where we expect 6 to 12 inches will be the areas where those lake effect bands really form.”

How to prepare for a winter storm

If a winter storm is heading your way, be sure to weatherproof your home and keep your car stocked with supplies.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you insulate all water pipes that run along the exterior walls of your home, seal and weatherproof your home’s doors and windows, insulate walls and the attic, stormproof or Install thermal panes on windows (or cover the windows from the inside with plastic if necessary), repair roof leaks, and cut down branches that could fall on your home.

It’s also important to make sure you have a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near heat sources and to have your furnace system and ventilation checked every winter season, the CDC says. If you have a chimney or chimney, have that checked as well.

Aside from regularly servicing your car, you should have the radiator system serviced every fall or check the antifreeze level yourself with an antifreeze tester, the CDC says. You should also replace your windshield wiper fluid with a winter blend and make sure your car tires have adequate tread and air pressure, the agency says.

You should also have an emergency kit in your car with a portable charger, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit and a pocket knife, a shovel, a window scraper, extra clothes to keep warm, water and snacks. A complete list of emergency supplies can be found on the CDC website.