March 5 (UPI) -- Weather forecasters predict a second winter storm will hit the northeastern United States later this week as some in the region were without power from last week's nor'easter.

Meteorologists issued a winter storm watch for parts of New England down to New York and New Jersey. The storm is expected to reach the Long Island and New Jersey shorelines Wednesday evening and night, bringing heavy snow and rain.

New York is expected to receive up to 10 inches of snow and Philadelphia is forecast to see 3 inches to 6 inches. Washington and Baltimore will fall in the southern portion of the storm's snow production Wednesday and are expected to experience little to no snow collection.

At least seven people, including two children, died in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland and Virginia during the first winter storm, which blasted the region on Friday and Saturday.

Winds toppled power lines and flooded coastal towns throughout the Northeast as about 2 million homes and businesses lost power.

About 365,000 people were without electricity in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware on Monday, NBC News reported.

The first storm also prompted the National Weather Service to issue coastal flood and high surf warnings in Puerto Rico as its powerful winds caused breaking waves of 18 feet to 30 feet Monday

Meteorologist John Morales described the waves, which also affected Hispaniola and the Virgin Islands as "one of the worst ocean swell events in recent decade."

"The ocean swell event has been so impactful in the Caribbean that even within San Juan Bay the rising water and wave action caused damage along the outside of ancient wall surrounds Old San Juan," he said. </s> • New York and surrounding states were gearing up for a second winter storm within a week on Wednesday.
• Between 6 and 12 inches (15 and 30 cm) of snow are forecast for New York City and the surrounding suburbs in New Jersey and Connecticut through to Thursday morning.
• The storm will spread west into Pennsylvania and up past Boston into New England where some locations may get as much as 2 feet (60 cm) of snow.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York and surrounding states were gearing up for a second winter storm within a week on Wednesday, with less wind but more snow predicted this time around as thousands remain without power from the last nor'easter.

Between 6 and 12 inches (15 and 30 cm) of snow are forecast for New York City and the surrounding suburbs in New Jersey and Connecticut through to Thursday morning, with wind gusts creating "near-white out conditions" for commuters, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday.

The storm will spread west into Pennsylvania and up past Boston into New England where some locations may get as much as 2 feet (60 cm) of snow. Snowfall may turn to wintry rain in some areas, depending on how much of the storm stays out at sea.

This week's storm is not forecast to have the hurricane-strength winds whipped up at times by the storm last week, but forecasters say strong gusts of 60 miles per hour (96.56 kmph) and accumulated snow will still be sufficient to knock down more power lines.

Some 250,000 homes and businesses in the region were still without power on Tuesday after the previous nor'easter.

The governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania declared states of emergency, which gives them access to support from the U.S. government if needed. New Jersey's Department of Health warned of treacherous driving conditions.

NYC Emergency Management said the city had 234,000 tons of rock salt on hand and was deploying 693 salt spreaders. City officials advised residents to avoid roads and stick to mass transit instead.

Amtrak canceled some of its Wednesday trains between Washington and Boston as well as some services in Pennsylvania, New York state and other areas of the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. </s> NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York and surrounding states were gearing up for a second winter storm within a week on Wednesday, with less wind but more snow predicted this time around as thousands remain without power from the last nor’easter.

Between six and 12 inches (15 and 30 cm) of snow are forecast for New York City and the surrounding suburbs in New Jersey and Connecticut through to Thursday morning, with wind gusts creating “near-white out conditions” for commuters, the National Weather Service said on Wednesday.

All schools were closed in Philadelphia while schools across the region canceled classes or shortened the school day ahead of the storm on Wednesday, local media reported.

The storm will spread west into Pennsylvania and up past Boston into New England where some locations may get as much as two feet (60 cm) of snow. Snowfall may turn to wintry rain in some areas, depending on how much of the storm stays out at sea.

This week’s storm is not forecast to have the hurricane-strength winds whipped up at times by the storm last week, but forecasters say strong gusts of 60 miles per hour (96.56 kmph) and accumulated snow will still be sufficient to knock down more power lines.

Some 250,000 homes and businesses in the region were still without power on Tuesday after the previous nor’easter.

The governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania declared states of emergency, which gives them access to support from the U.S. government if needed. New Jersey’s Department of Health warned of treacherous driving conditions.

NYC Emergency Management said the city had 234,000 tons of rock salt on hand and was deploying 693 salt spreaders. City officials advised residents to avoid roads and stick to mass transit instead.

Amtrak canceled some of its Wednesday trains between Washington and Boston as well as some services in Pennsylvania, New York state and other areas of the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. </s> The name alone might make you shiver in your boots — but what exactly a Nor’easter, the powerful winter storm that devastated parts of the country last week and is once again barreling through the East Coast?

Just days ago, a deadly Nor’easter — named Winter Storm Riley — killed eight people and knocked out the power for millions if Americans throughout the East Coast. And now, another Nor’easter — this one dubbed Winter Storm Quinn — is moving up the Northeast, potentially dropping up to a foot of snow on various major cities including New York City, Boston and Philadelphia.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Carl Erikson says “it’s not unusual” for two strong Nor’easters to arrive back-to-back. But what’s troubling about this latest Nor’easter is that last week’s storm weakened many tree branches in the region — and with the heavy, wet kind of snow this storm system is bringing, it’s possible even more branches will break under the pressure.

And the worst is still to come with Winter Storm Quinn on Wednesday. “It’s just starting to really gain strength now,” says Erikson.

Rain began shifting into snow — including heavy squalls that brought white-out conditions — for many parts of the East Coast Wednesday morning including southeast Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and up the 1-95 corridor to New York City. Erikson predicts this Nor’easter will bring heavy, wet snow, accumulating at about six to ten inches from Philadelphia to New York City, with harder-hit regions seeing as much as 18 inches. Gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour may be detected along the coast. Throughout the region, 50 million people from Maryland to Maine are under a winter storm watch on Wednesday, CNN reports.

Already, Winter Storm Quinn has wreaked havoc on commutes and traveler’s plans — as many schools are closed around the region, flights have been canceled, and some transit systems are running on modified schedules, the New York reports.

Here’s what else you need to know about this Nor’easter, including where the name comes from.

A Nor’easter is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a storm featuring winds from the northeast off the Atlantic Ocean, affecting the East Coast of the United States. The storms typically develop between Georgia and New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.

“As the storm comes off the coast, you get that northeast wind, kind of a like a low-pressure, counter-clockwise spin,” Erikson said.

Though the term is often linked to winter storms, snow is not a meteorological requirement for Nor’easters — as the term can also apply to rain storms. Strong winds, flooding, and choppy seas are all regular features of Nor’easters as well. And the most powerful Nor’easters typically occur from September to April, the Weather Channel reports, so there may be more to come in 2018.

While hurricanes form in the tropics, Nor’easters form farther north, in what’s known as a mid-latitude region.

Why is it called a Nor’Easter?

While many assume Nor’easter is the name is a product of some kind of Maine lobsterman accent, that’s probably not true. In their book Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language , Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman write:

Instead, “Nor’easter” seems to come from across the Atlantic Ocean. As far back as the Elizabethan period, the English used “nor'” and “nor’east” to refer to compass points.

The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first written usage of “nor’easter” in London in 1837, in a translation of the Aristophanes play by B.D. Walsh: “Slack your sheet! A strong nor’-easter’s groaning.” The unabbreviated term “northeaster” appeared in print earlier, in the in 1753: “Cap. Savage had a strong North-Easter some Hours before, about 8 Leagues S. W. of the Cape [Florida], in which he carried away his Boltsprit, but happily recover’d it again.” </s> The Northeast is bracing for an intense winter storm right after parts of California have seen almost a foot of rain this week. Two storm systems have headed east.

(NEW YORK) — The Northeast is bracing for an intense winter storm right after parts of California have seen almost a foot of rain this week.

As two storm systems have headed east, with one over the Rockies overnight, more than a foot of snow has fallen in Utah and about a foot has been seen in Colorado.

The first of the two storms is moving through the Northeast Friday morning, with slick roads likely from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Snow accumulations Friday morning along the Interstate 95 corridor are fairly light — just 1 to 2 inches.

As the second storm moves toward the Plains and Midwest, heavy snow is likely in the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin and parts of Illinois.

Heavy snow should be moving into Chicago, the southern Great Lakes and other parts of the Midwest later Friday night. Winter storm warnings have been issued.

Saturday afternoon and evening, this second storm is moving into the Ohio Valley with heavy snow for western New York and Pennsylvania.

South of areas receiving snow, heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected.

On Saturday night, a quick hit of heavy snow in Philadelphia and New York and many coastal areas is expected, before some of that precipitation turns to sleet and freezing rain.

New York City could see 2 to 3 inches of snow and 1 to 2 inches of sleet, with Philly receiving a bit less of both. Washington will mostly see rain, while Boston will see more snow, maybe more than half a foot.

Upstate New York, central Pennsylvania and much of New England may see more than 2 feet of snow.

Behind the storm, an Arctic blast is forecast to spill into the central and eastern U.S., delivering the coldest air of the season and brutally cold wind chills Monday morning. </s> A winter storm unleashed snow and freezing rain on large swath of the southern United States on Saturday and threatened to bring treacherous conditions to the East Coast.

Approximately 25 million people in 13 states could be impacted by the snow and rain. Across the United States, nearly 800 flights were canceled and nearly 10,000 were delayed, according to flight tracking website Flight Aware.

A state of emergency was declared in North Carolina and Virginia as the winter storm, which was over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee as of Saturday afternoon, continued to head east.

During a press conference, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that the state anticipated the storm could cause up to half a million power outages.

"Tonight and tomorrow, it’s time to hunker down and stay safe ... this weekend is not the time to see a winter wonderland," Cooper said.

Along the southern side of the storm, flooding was a concern in warmer states, from southeastern Texas to parts of Georgia.

Approximately 14 million people were under winter weather advisories across the southern and eastern United states. Winter storm warnings were in effect along the northern side of the storm, including in parts of western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, upstate South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, southern West Virginia, and northeastern Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.

The heaviest snowfall, which is expected to begin Saturday and continue until Monday, will affect northwest North Carolina and southern Virginia, according to the NWS

Prior to moving east, the storm had already dropped several inches of snow in southern states. In Lubbock, Texas, approximately 9.5 inches of snow had fallen as of 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. ET) on Saturday, according to the NWS.

The Texas Department of Transportation warned travelers to drive with caution, and advised people to stay home if possible.

In other parts of Texas, flood watches were canceled following heavy rainfall from the storm. </s> A winter storm along America’s west coast has brought near record-breaking snowfall to cities such as Seattle and Portland, the second time in a week the region has been hit.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings from northern California to Washington state and west into Montana. The region is expected to receive more than 6in of snow, with more in the mountains.

Already, Seattle-Tacoma airport saw the second highest snowfall ever for a single day, at 6.4in, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect the snowstorms to continue into next week.

Washington’s governor, Jay Inslee, declared a state of emergency because of the storms on Friday evening. More than 170 flights have been canceled into and out of Seattle-Tacoma Airport.

Seattle rarely sees large winter storms. In 2016, writers from the sunny Los Angeles Times dubbed the city “snow wimps”, writing that Seattle “always marched unarmed into its infrequent battles with snow”.

The worst winter storm on record to hit the region was in 1916, when 38in of snow paralyzed the city for days and caused the collapse of a historic dome on St James Cathedral, according to the Seattle Times.

In addition to massive traffic delays, the wintry weather has also resulted in at least one life threatening situation. In Edgewood, Washington, just south of Seattle, local sheriffs rescued a young woman who fell through the ice on a pond while walking her dog. Both were rescued.

Chilly temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend. </s> Image copyright Off-Road Adventures/via REUTERS Image caption A snow storm struck the US south-eastern states over the weekend

A heavy snowstorm has swept through US south-eastern states, killing at least three people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

A state of emergency has been declared in North Carolina, with some areas reporting as much as 0.5m (18.5ins) of snow over the weekend.

One man died after a tree fell on his car. A search is under way for a driver whose vehicle was found in a river.

Thousands of flights were also cancelled across the region.

Image copyright Twitter/Bryce Sigmon/via REUTERS Image caption A boathouse in North Carolina destroyed by the storm

'A dangerous system'

Snow, sleet and freezing rain continues to impact the South.

At a news conference on Monday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said "a year's worth of snowfall fell in some places in a day".

More than 300,000 people were affected by electricity outages in the Carolinas, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia on Sunday, while storm warnings remained in place in the south-east "especially North Carolina and Virginia", the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a tweet.

The storm was expected to move off the coast on Monday, although the NWS's lead forecaster Michael Schichtel warned it would continue to be "a dangerous system".

"It's slow to move off the Carolinas but a saving grace is that it won't hit New England," he told Reuters news agency.

Image copyright Rod Wilbourn/via REUTERS Image caption Snow hits a porch in Banner Elk, North Carolina

In some areas, so much snow fell the weight brought power lines crashing down.

But the main danger appeared to be on the roads.

Almost 60 crashes were reported in Virginia, state police told local media, with the number rising to 672 in North Carolina as of Monday morning.

NWS officials warned of black ice forming on roads on Monday and into Tuesday.

Gov Cooper emphasised that the roads could "turn into ice rinks" even as the storm passes.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Hundreds of road accidents were reported

On Monday, the governor confirmed three storm-related deaths, saying the snow "turned into a nightmare and tragedy".

A man was killed in a suburb of Charlotte when a tree fell on his car. A second person was taken to hospital following the accident, WRAL.com said.

A woman receiving hospice care in the western part of the state also died during the storm.

Near Winston-Salem, another individual died of a heart condition on the way to a shelter, according to the governor's office.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A snow storm struck the US south-eastern states over the weekend

Gov Cooper urged residents to check on their loved ones and neighbours, particularly senior citizens.

The North Carolina National Guard remains active. The troops rescued 20 people in Wilkesboro, Brig Gen Todd Hunt said at the news conference, and continue to assist with road clearing and traffic accidents.

Several hundred miles east, in Kinston, divers were searching for another driver, whose tractor-trailer apparently crashed into the Neuse River.

Officials were alerted after debris was spotted on a bridge over the river, ABC12 said. </s> (CNN) — A strong wintry storm still was dumping snow Friday in far northern New England after creating traffic havoc that claimed at least eight lives across the country's eastern half and knocked out power for tens of thousands of people.

A mix of rain, snow and ice that initially hit the Midwest caused headaches from the South to the Northeast, leaving up to a foot of snow in some parts of the latter and widespread freezing rain and ice accumulations elsewhere. Conditions prompted school closures, hours-long delays for commuters and hundreds of flight cancellations.

Pedestrians push through a wintry mix of snow and ice Thursday in New York.

About 200,000 customers in four states were without power at 6 p.m. ET Friday, according to Poweroutage.us, in part due to freezing rain.

The snow in the Northeast was expected to end Saturday morning, though gusty winds and coastal flooding will continue, the National Weather Service said . Another cold front will drop additional snowfall from the Great Lakes to the New England interior through Sunday.
A second winter storm occurs in the East Coast of the United States, only a few days after another storm.