WINTER STORM WARNING for Wednesday - Entire Tri-State Region and Mid Atlantic States

Pressure falls indicate that the forecast coastal low is beginning to develop off the coast of Maryland early this morning. Radar indicates a huge area of heavy snow, sleet, and rain now moving northeastward across southern NJ. Warm air advection from the ocean (about 40 to 45 degrees sea surface temperature) is producing the mixed precipitation and rain along the southern portions of NJ and eastern DE and Maryland. At 1:00 a.m. on Wed. February 10, 2010 freezing rain is falling in Milville, NJ and mixed precipitation is occurring in Atlantic City (31 degrees). Freezing rain now in Baltimore and Washington, DC as well as in Delaware.

The storm will intensify dramatically into what would be almost a Category 2 hurricane if it was of tropical origin with barometric pressure dropping to about 28.90 inches. Winds will gust to 40 to 50 mph and the heaviest snow will fall during the morning and afternoon in the NYC area. About 6" will fall along the coast where there will be some mixing in of sleet and rain and as much as 12 to 20 inches away from the coast. The snow will be heavy and wet early in the day but it will become drier with blowing and drifting of the snow. The snow will end late in the evening on Wednesday or early in the morning on Thursday but it will stay windy through Thursday afternoon.

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc.