Grab the shovels. 'Major' storm will bring wet snow to Southern Tier this weekend
A major snowstorm moving up the East Coast is expected to create havoc for much of the Northeast, and while the Southern Tier is likely to miss the brunt of the storm, forecasters are urging residents to be prepared.
Snowfall has been relatively light so far across the region this winter, but that's expected to change over the weekend.
A major winter storm that spread snow across the southern Rockies and into the southern Plains late last week is set to strengthen across the Southeast into early Saturday, tapping into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, according to Accuweather.
Latest: How much snow the Southern Tier, Binghamton will see
A winter storm watch is in effect from Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening for Madison, Southern Oneida, Cortland, Chenango, Otsego, Broome, Delaware and Sullivan counties in New York, as well as Susquehanna, Northern Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike and Southern Wayne counties in Pennsylvania.
The Binghamton area is predicted to get less than an inch of snow Saturday but around four inches overnight into Sunday.
The storm is expected to move up the East Coast, dumping significant snowfall up the Interstate 95 Corridor and major cities along the way, Accuweather predicts.
Current models show the Southern Tier will feel some backlash, but not the full fury, of the weekend storm system.
"We're looking at heavy, wet snow," said Ema Sera, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Binghamton. "We're looking at more coastal impact, the probability of higher (snowfall) toward New Jersey. We'll probably see a couple inches. Travel will be affected."
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How much snow is expected in Elmira, Corning, Hornell
The Elmira area could get about an inch during the day Saturday and up to three inches Saturday night.
Snowfall in both the Corning and Hornell areas is expected to total less than an inch Saturday and another two inches overnight, the National Weather Service said.
Weekend temperatures are expected to be seasonal, with highs in the low to mid 30s and overnight lows in the 20s, Sera said.
The National Weather Service is calling for a 50% chance of snow across most of the Southern Tier, including the Binghamton and Elmira areas, on Saturday, increasing to an 80% likelihood of snowfall Saturday night.
That probability falls to 70% in the Hornell area and western parts of the Southern Tier.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Winter storm NY latest: What to expect in Binghamton, Southern Tier
