Strengthening nor’easter whips Philadelphia to NYC, Boston with heavy snow and wind

• The nor'easter will not be a repeat of the March 2 bomb cyclone.

• The storm will still disrupt cleanup and power restoration operations.

• Much less wind is in store for the Northeast, compared to last Friday.

• Heavy snow is forecast for northern New England.

• Expect heavy snow to reach Interstate 95 in Northeast.

• Motorists will be at risk to become stranded in heavy snowfall.

Heavy snow, travel disruptions and power outages will ramp up as the latest nor'easter strengthens along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts into Thursday.

While the storm's strength will not be as intense as the recent bomb cyclone in terms of wind and seas. However, very heavy snow is forecast to impact millions of people.

Some communities will get thunder and lightning with the storm.

Heavy snow to fall over a broad area

Many areas in northern New England that escaped the last storm’s full wrath will face heavy snowfall from this storm.

A band of intense snow that developed in northern Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania during Wednesday midday will continue to expand northeastward Wednesday night along the Interstate-95 corridor to New York City and near Boston.

Snowfall in northern and western New England is likely to be dry and powdery enough to be subject to blowing and drifting. Elsewhere, the snow will be heavy and wet and weigh down trees and power lines.

The area from extreme eastern Pennsylvania and north-central New Jersey to Maine is on track to receive between 1 and 2 feet of snow.

"The snowfall rate from extreme eastern Pennsylvania to northwestern New jersey to parts of the Hudson Valley of New York and western New England may be between 2 and 3 inches per hour for a time," Sosnowski said.

People will be at risk for getting stranded on the road if they venture out during this time. Crews may struggle to keep roads clear due to the fast rate of accumulation.

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"The band of heavy snow is likely to overlap at least part of the area that received more than a foot of snow from last Friday's storm," Sosnowski said. "Parts of the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania and the Hudson Valley of New York may have 3-4 feet of snow on the ground following this new storm's snow and what remains on the ground from last week."

Just as road conditions deteriorated around Philadelphia during Wednesday midday, the same is in store around New York City and Hartford Wednesday evening. Travel should be avoided during this time.

The worst of the storm with snow and wind will affect much of Maine, new Hampshire and part of Vermont on Thursday.

Flight delays and cancellations will build in the Northeast with some ripple-effect delays elsewhere in the nation. Crews and aircraft may get tied up or rerouted due to deicing operations, slippery runways, poor visibility and gusty winds.

Winds may still pack a punch

People in much of the mid-Atlantic and in southern New England will notice much less wind with this storm. However, even a moderate nor'easter can cause problems in lieu of past storm impact.

Residents who had their power restored early this week may find themselves back in the dark.

"The big problem is that the storm this week is coming so soon after the destructive storm from last Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "It will disrupt cleanup and restoration operations and is likely to cause a new but less extreme round of travel delays, power outages and damage from falling trees."

"The storm will still pack a punch from New Jersey to Maine," Sosnowski said. "Small craft should remain in port, and seas are likely to again become rough enough to toss around large vessels offshore."

Despite winds set to buffet the beaches, coastal flooding is not likely to be as severe as during the bomb cyclone.

The quick pace of the storm should limit any issues to minor problems for one or two high tides, especially in areas that suffered beach erosion the past few days.

Yet another storm on the horizon

"Mother Nature may have one more potent, coastal storm for the Northeast into the middle of the month before the pattern shifts somewhat," Sosnowski said. "After the storm this Wednesday and Thursday, a new storm may gather intensity along the Atlantic coast and may make a northward during the period from Sunday, March 11, to Tuesday, March 13."

Later in March, additional storms that brew may also be potent, but the storm track may progress farther to the west over the middle of the nation, which would translate to warmer weather in the East, but not necessarily dry weather.

Concerns may be raised for flooding, depending on how quickly the deep snow melts and where heavy rain overlaps.