Merging March storms wallop NYC, northeastern US on 1st weekend of spring
A major rain and snowstorm blasted the northeastern United States soon after the official start of spring.
Wintry weather swept across the northern U.S. on March 22, bringing accumulating snow from Minnesota to Illinois to New York.
Two recent storms merged into one powerful system along the Atlantic coast, which was enough to bring torrential rain and localized flooding and dump heavy snow across the interior that clogged roads during the first weekend of spring 2024.
Punxsutawney Phil's forecast from early February has been taking some hits lately, with a massive storm blanketing the north-central United States into the start of the new week and a wound-up system that clobbered the Northeast on the weekend. AccuWeather's team of meteorologists warned of some late winter and spring setbacks for the Midwest and Northeast weeks earlier and the intensity of the weekend storms in the Northeast and the north-central zone more recently.
A truck slid off the snowy road in Ann Arbor, Michigan March 22, 2024. (Credit: Severe Studios/Jaden Pappenheim)
"New York City experienced its third wettest March day ever on Saturday with 3.66 inches of rain pouring down and much of that occurring in six hours," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Reneé Duff said. "The wettest March day on record at New York City's Central Park is 4.25 inches back in 1876 on the 25th."
"If it seems like it's been raining a lot in New York City and other areas along the Atlantic coast this month -- it has indeed. Counting Saturday's storm, New York City has received 8.24 inches of rain so far this month, which is good enough for the number six spot on the all-time wettest March list," AccuWeather New York City Meteorologist and On-Air Radio Personality Matt Benz said.
The torrential rain extended along much of the Interstate 95 corridor and into the central Appalachians also dropped 3.09 inches on Philadelphia and Providence, Rhode Island, and 2.28 inches on Boston.
Rain-slicked highways and flooded underpasses caused their share of problems on the roads Saturday, while the combination of strong winds, heavy rain, fog and slick runways contributed to a significant number of flight delays and cancellations at the airport hubs.
Winds gusted to 55 mph at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, during the storm. Gusts as high as 60 mph occurred on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
However, temperatures plunged so rapidly in the wake of the storm that all roads did not have a chance to dry off completely before icy patches formed. The icy patches were mostly confined to areas that drained poorly or where runoff continued across some roads.
"There were numerous reports of accidents on Sunday morning due to icy patches and not only in the suburbs but also some coming from Queens and Brooklyn," Benz said.
Rising temperatures and sunshine alleviated the icy patches as the day progressed on Sunday.
On the storm's snowy side, feet of snow were deposited on parts of upstate New York and northern New England into Sunday morning.
Some of the top storm spotter reports from Sunday morning included 33.1 inches of snow in West Windsor, Vermont; 29 inches near Penobscot, Maine; 28 inches at Albany, New Hampshire; and 25.6 inches at Pawlet, New York.
This weekend, the rapid heavy snowfall on steep mountain slopes contributed to avalanche warnings in New England's Presidential Range. At least one avalanche occurred on Mount Mansfield, Vermont.
"Power outages were caused by heavy snow across New York and New England," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said.
"Coastal Maine was especially hard hit with ice, snow and high winds. As of Sunday late morning, more than 200,000 customers, about one-fifth of the state, were without power in Maine, according to PowerOutage.US. More than 100,000 were without power in New York and New Hampshire. In addition, Netblocks reported that hundreds of thousands had also lost internet in Maine and New Hampshire," Ferrell added.
More than 100,000 customers were still without power in Maine as of early Monday morning.
For snow to accumulate on roads in late March, the snowfall rate must be enough to overcome the warmth retained by paved and concrete surfaces. Snow-covered roads from the recent storm were common from western New York to Maine.
After soaking parts of the Castile and Berkshire mountains, the rush of cold air allowed a change to snow with up to a few inches of accumulation in some areas on Saturday afternoon and evening. The storm also brought a rare late March icy mix to parts of northern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and New England as a shallow layer of cold air lingered as the rainstorm began.
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