True New Englanders would need to have a NorEaster bear down on them before they would miss this.
Brian, you must stand corrected. We are going to experience an Alberta Clipper (not to be confused with a Manitoba Mauler or Saskatchewan Screamer), not a Northeaster. Definitions below. What is unique about this clipper is the amount of snow. Usually these storms are faster moving delivering 2-4 inches of snow. This clipper is larger and a little slower thus the predictions of 6-12".
You're probably thinking, who cares? Snow is snow. You are prob right. :biggrin:
Alberta Clipper:
A clipper originates when warm, moist winds from the Pacific Ocean come into contact with the mountains in the provinces of British Columbia and then Alberta. The air travels down the lee side of the mountains, often forming a chinook in Alberta, then develops into a storm over the Canadian prairies when it becomes entangled with the cold air mass that normally occupies the region in winter. The storm then slides southward and gets caught up in the flow around the mass of high pressure which always inhabits cold polar areas, sending the storm barreling into central and eastern areas of North America.
The storms sweep in at high speed over whatever land they encounter, usually bringing with them sharp cold fronts and drastically lower temperatures. It is not uncommon for an Alberta clipper to cause temperatures to drop by 30°F (16°C) in as little as 10 to 12 hours. Often, the storms bring biting winds with them, only increasing the effect of the newly lower temperatures. Winds in advance of and during an Alberta clipper are frequently as high as 35 to 45 mph (56 to 72 km/h). These conditions would cause wind chill values to drop into the -20 to -50 Fahrenheit (-30 to -45 Celsius) range.
Snowfall amounts with these systems tend to be small (on the order of 1 to 3 inches or 2.5 to 7.5 cm), as the severe lack of moisture and quick movement inhibit substantial snowfall totals. However, several factors could combine to produce somewhat impressive snowfall totals (6 inches/15 cm or more). These factors include access to more moisture (which raises precipitation amounts), slower system movement (which increases snowfall duration), and colder temperatures (which increases the snow to water ratio). The southern and eastern shores of the Great Lakes often receive enhanced snowfall from Alberta Clippers during the winter, due to lake enhancement. The lake effect snow can add substantially to the overall snowfall tota.
Northeaster:
Nor'easters usually develop off the coast of North Carolina when the cold Labrador current and the warm Gulf Stream current meet. The contrast in the air temperatures above these currents help form a low pressure system. At the same time over Canada, winds circulate in a clockwise motion around a high pressure system. These winds dip deeply into the Northeastern United States bringing cold Canadian temperatures to support the formation of snow.
The low begins to move north up the coast. At the same time, air rushes counterclockwise around it, bringing winds that blow from the Northeast toward the Southwest. These winds pick up moisture from the ocean. The movement of the winds and precipitation from the Northeast is why this storm is called a nor'easter.
