Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for portions of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia for a snow event expected to unfold tonight into tomorrow morning; however, people in this region should be aware that the National Weather Service changed the criteria for these warnings for this season.
A fast-moving system will bring a widespread 2-4″ snowfall through portions of the Mid Atlantic, with some 3-6″ amounts possible too. The highest terrain of central Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia could see in the 6-12″ range, although those amounts will fall in mainly unpopulated mountainous areas.
Due to a change in criteria for Winter Storms that the National Weather Service made last fall, some of the forecast snowfall amounts are now warnable whereas in the past they weren’t.
Normally, a Winter Storm Watch will be issued in advance of an arriving winter storm, usually at least 24 hours in advance. When this is issued by a local National Weather Service office, it indicates the risk of a hazardous winter weather event has increased, with at least a 50% chance of it occurring, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so you can make plans to stay safe.