National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Wind and Rain in the Northeast; Atmospheric River to Impact the West

A cold front will cross the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. through today with gusty winds and areas of rain showers. A strong atmospheric river is then expected to move into the Northwest by midweek bringing a threat for moderate to heavy rainfall and flooding, gusty winds, and mountain snows for parts of Washington, Oregon, northern California, and the Sierra Nevada. Read More >

Overview

A high-impact, long-duration winter storm affected the region from December 15-17, 2022. This was an elevation-dependent storm with heavy snowfall for the higher elevations and a mix of rain and snow in the valleys. Snowfall totals of 12-24 inches were common across areas above 1000 feet with mainly 6 inches or less below. A brief period of sleet and freezing rain occurred across portions of the Hudson Valley during the evening hours on December 15 before precipitation changed over to plain rain. Rain then changed over to snow during the daytime hours on December 16.

This was a heavy, wet snow and the weight of the snow caused downed trees and power lines resulting in scattered power outages. Hamilton County was hit hardest with power outages with over 30 percent of customers tracked without power at some point during the event. Speed and chain-up restrictions went into effect along some western New England roads including the Massachusetts Turnpike and VT Route 9. A few vehicle accidents also occurred as a result of the slippery road conditions.

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