New York City awaits winter storm that could end two-year snow drought

NEW YORK CITY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - New York City's historic, two-year snow drought may come to an end this weekend with the arrival of a winter storm system that should begin rolling through the most populous city in the United States and across the East Coast on Saturday.

The city's 8.5 million residents have not seen more than 1 inch (2.54 cm) of snow fall in Central Park since Feb. 13, 2022, a record-long streak of 692 days. The incoming low pressure system threatens to dump up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) of wet snow in parts of the city, the National Weather Service said.

"We stand a pretty good chance of getting close to breaking" the streak, said Bill Goodman, a meteorologist based in New York. "This winter started off on the mild side, but I think we're about to switch gears toward a more typical winter."

The storm could produce more snow than fell all last winter in New York City, where just 2.3 inches (5.84 cm) fell, the lowest amount in recorded history. It was also expected to bring icy rain to parts of the city and wind gusts of up to 45 miles (72 km) per hour, the weather service said in its forecast.

In a city where snowfalls of more than a foot (30 cm) are not uncommon - at least until recently - New Yorkers should have little trouble coping with whatever this weekend's storm dishes out.

Experts say the lack of snow in New York is one more sign of how climate change is affecting weather patterns around the world. The U.S. Southwest, for example, experienced a record stretch of extreme heat last summer.

Although the forecast calls for at least some snow accumulation, the storm may also just produce freezing rain across the city. The downpours, which could total 1-1/2 inches (3.8 cm), could cause minor urban flooding and leave an icy glaze on roadways, the weather service warned.

Either way, New York City is likely to escape the brunt of the weekend storm. It threatens to dump as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of snow in interior portions of New York state, New Jersey and northeast through New England along and just north of Interstate 95. Some areas could see as much as a foot of snow, the weather service said.

The agency and state officials urged the 16 million people who were under a winter storm watch across the region to stay vigilant as the snow from the storm could cover roads and topple trees and electrical lines, making travel treacherous and knocking out power.

"Now is a good time to make plans and avoid travel during the duration of the storm," Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said on social media platform X.

Boston, home to about 650,000 people, was expected to get as much as 7 inches (1d8 cm) of snow. Mayor Michelle Wu cautioned residents to be careful over the weekend but said the storm appeared unlikely to disrupt the start of the workweek.

"Nothing is quite predictable here in New England, but the timing of this so far – fingers crossed – does mean that it should have less of an impact on the normal rhythms of our weekday commutes and school pickups and drop-offs," she said at a news briefing on Friday.

Winter weather was also on tap for parts of eastern California and the West Coast, where some communities across region could get as much as a foot (30 cm) of snow and wind gusts of more than 40 mph (64 kph), causing whiteout conditions on roadways, the weather service warned.