Snowstorm in Northeast Could Disrupt Travel and Power, Forecasters Say

An early spring storm is expected to bring heavy snow to the interior Northeast, particularly New York, on Monday into Tuesday, raising the potential for downed trees, power interruptions and difficult travel, forecasters said.

In New York State, which is expected to get the brunt of the storm, snowfall of up to 11 inches is possible in some northern counties, according to the National Weather Service.

A mix of rain and snow was expected to spread into much of Central New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania on Monday evening, and change to snow in many areas before tapering Tuesday morning, forecasters said.

The highest ranges could get more than 10 inches, with some snow rates exceeding an inch an hour, the center said.

“Hazardous to difficult travel conditions are expected to develop due to the slushy, snow-covered roads,” the center said.

Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Binghamton, N.Y., said on Sunday that one of the greatest concerns was that the storm was expected to bring heavy, wet snow.

“That’s the kind of stuff that can bring down trees because it does weigh so heavily on them,” Ms. Chapman said. “So, you will be looking at your risk for power outages, and it’s also a little more difficult to shovel.”

The Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for more than 1.4 million people across northern Pennsylvania and central and northern New York. The warning, which is in effect from Monday night through noon Tuesday, said snow could make travel “very difficult,” and that heavy, wet snow could cause scattered power failures.

“Bottom line is that we’re looking at the potential for some pretty impactful weather,” Ms. Chapman said.

Although exact amounts of snowfall were unclear, Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, said it was unlikely the storm would produce record-breaking snowfall in places like Delaware and Sullivan Counties, in the Catskills, and Otsego County in Central New York.

“I don’t think that the amounts are too significant for an April event,” Mr. Weiss said. “We typically do get a late-season snowfall up there, so I don’t think this is out of the realm of normalcy.”

As the storm moves east on Monday, the effects are not expected to be as significant as in New York.

In northwestern Massachusetts, the storm is expected to bring widespread rain and wet snow late on Monday night and into Tuesday, according to the Weather Service in Boston.

“It’s not going to be a winter storm for us,” Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Boston, said, referring to those in the Boston area.

Ms. Chapman said that it is not uncommon to get a snowstorm in April, but she added that those in the Northeast may not have an appetite for snow in the spring.

“After we’ve had such pretty nice weather, I think maybe people are probably not really in the mood at this point for it or ready to deal with it,” Ms. Chapman said. “Just be prepared to maybe have to shovel and for a sloppy commute possibly.”