5:00pm today marks the 15th anniversary of the notorious Blizzard of 1996, which bombarded the Northeast with record snow and strong winds from North Carolina to Massachusetts. So far this winter we have already had a heck of a snow storm erily comparable to the 1996 Blizzard back in December during the Christmas weekend. Flash forward to 2011; the weather is promising more arctic cold and snow to infiltrate the region as we enter a cold and stormy weather pattern. First, Lake Effect Snow is cranking up once more as a weak disturbance moves over the Great Lakes this evening. An additional 3 to 6 inches is likely in Buffalo beginning tonight and lingering through the next few days. The same low pressure system that will enhance Lake Effect Snow in northern and western New York State will eventually move off the coast of Long Island early Friday morning. This weak system will strengthen as it gathers energy from the Atlantic Ocean and will produce a wide spread area of accumulating snow. Like I mentioned in my previous posting, I don't think that this will be any where near as impressive as the Christmas weekend Nor'Easter. My forecast calls for a narrow band of snow that will develop along a trough as this system works its way off shore. Snow will break out in the tristate area during the morning hours on Friday and will persist through the evening hours before dissipating to flurries very early on Saturday. Generally between 4 inches to as much as 10 inches of snow is likely in and around the New York City metropolitan area, the greatest accumulations will be confined to areas where this snow band is most persistent. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour is possible at the peak of this storm. Beyond this weekend, the weather seems to remain active with the likelihood of yet another more powerful storm in the horizon during the middle potion of next week. I will be monitoring the situation and will continue to post updates on a regular basis.
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