A powerful storm is approaching New York: up to 30 cm of snow is possible

A winter storm is starting to form this weekend and up to 30 cm of snow is growing in upstate New York, reports Syracuse.

The “dynamic and fast-moving” storm could produce 40 mph wind gusts that would drastically reduce visibility and make driving dangerous during the day on Saturday, the National Weather Service said. The warning is valid from the evening of March 11 to the evening of March 12.

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The weather service estimates that the chances of 13 cm of snow falling in Syracuse on March 20 are almost 90%. The chance of seeing snowfall is 50/50.

In the Central New York the heaviest snow is likely to fall just before and during Syracuse's St. Patrick's Parade, which ends at noon on March 12. This could be the snowiest day for the parade since its revival in 1983 (on March 14, 1992, the record reached 18 cm).

There are still some unresolved questions about the storm that could affect how much snow falls and how quickly rain turns to snow. The heavy storm will bring heavy rainfall from New Mexico to Maine.

The storm's biggest factor is the low pressure system rolling up the East Coast. This will bring cold air and snow inland to westernmost Michigan. As the storm sweeps past the coast of Maine on March 12, it could drag more cold air across the Great Lakes and deliver some snow into Central and Western New York on the morning of March 13.