Powerful Pacific Storm to Continue Impacting Northern California; Heavy Snow in the Appalachians and Portions of the Northeast

A strong atmospheric river will continue to impact northern California with heavy rain and life-threatening flooding through Friday. Unsettled weather is expected across much of the Northeast and Great Lakes over the next few days, including the likelihood of heavy snow in the central Appalachians and higher elevations of northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York. Read More >

WINTER STORM SUMMARY FOR
DECEMBER 05, 2005 TO DECEMBER 6, 2005 EVENT

Synopsis

Low pressure organized over Georgia and moved northeast. The low deepened as it began to move off the coast of Cape Hatteras Sunday night and developed into a winter storm tracking north just off the Atlantic coastline Monday. As the system moved past the Mid Atlantic region snow was deposited from the shoreline west into the Lehigh Valley, before tapering off around daybreak Tuesday morning. The storm was east of New England by noon Tuesday and continued northeast towards the Canadian maritime, while a high pressure was progressing east out of the Ohio Valley.

Watches/Warnings/Advisories

A winter storm watch was issued for Delaware, northeastern Maryland and southern New Jersey Sunday afternoon. The watch was upgraded to a winter storm warning well before daybreak Monday, while a winter storm advisory was added for eastern Pennsylvania from the Delaware Valley west into the Lehigh Valley. All warnings and advisories have expired at this time.

Precipitation/Temperatures/Winds

First snowfall began in the southern region of lower Delaware early Monday afternoon, reaching Atlantic City by 4 PM, and slowly west into the Delaware Valley around sunset. The western outer fringes of the snow spread into the Lehigh Valley just after midnight. Early reports of snow amounts along the south shore area were 1 to 2 inches by midnight with trace amounts in western New Jersey. By sunrise Tuesday 4 to 5 inches were along the shore, with 3 to 4 inches inland. Final totals ranged from 2 to 4 inches in southern Delaware, 6 to near 7 from Atlantic City north into Monmouth County, 4 inches at Wilmington and Philadelphia and a trace in Allentown. Temperatures through the event remained around 30 degrees and winds from the Northwest at 5 to 10 mph. Winds were shifting to from the west by noon Monday as temperatures inclined slightly to only a degree above freezing.

Significant Impacts/Aspects

This was an early season snowfall with no significant freezing prior to the event, hampering accumulations on roadways. Appears enough melting occurred to eliminate significant disruptions to travel.

Notes

Information contained in this summary is preliminary. More complete and/or detailed information may be contained in subsequent monthly NOAA storm data publications.

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