Winter has arrived across the United States in uneven fashion, bringing powerful storms to the East even as much of the West continues to wait for meaningful snowfall.
While cities from Missouri to Maine brace for hazardous conditions, large parts of the western US remain far behind normal snow levels for early December.
Denver recorded its first measurable snowfall only on 29 November, more than a month later than usual, marking the latest first snow date in the city’s history.
The slow start stands in sharp contrast to the eastern half of the country, where the third winter storm in a week has already swept through the Midwest and is now strengthening as it moves toward New England.
The powerful system is forecast to rapidly intensify into a bomb cyclone along the East Coast on Tuesday, bringing strong winds to coastal New England by nightfall. The storm has already left its mark in several states.
Crashes and school closures were reported in Missouri, more than a foot of snow fell in Iowa and drivers in Buffalo struggled with near zero visibility, reported CNN.
St. Louis logged a record daily snowfall of 3.8 inches on Monday, surpassing the city’s previous 1 December record of 3.5 inches set in 1937.
A state of emergency was declared in parts of New Jersey on Monday as authorities warned of dangerous conditions.
Forecasts suggest 3 to 7 inches of snow for counties including Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren.
Governor Phil Murphy urged residents to remain alert, exercise caution and follow safety protocols.
Philadelphia, New York and Boston, despite sitting along the populous I-95 corridor, are likely to see mostly rain with only brief periods of snow.
A wintry mix is expected in New York City, according to officials cited by NBC News, while parts of Maryland may face freezing rain.
The Poconos in Pennsylvania could receive up to 6 inches of snow and northwestern Ohio is expecting 2 to 5 inches between Monday night and Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has placed a wide swath of the country from Arkansas to Maine under Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings. The morning commute is expected to be messy along the I-95 corridor, where frozen precipitation and heavy rain will coincide with rush hour.
This winter is unfolding under La Nina conditions, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting a possible shift to neutral partway through the season.
La Nina involves cooler than usual sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and often brings cooler, wetter weather to the Pacific Northwest and warmer, drier conditions to the Southwest, though patterns can vary widely.
Scientists note that snowfall also hinges on individual storms, which are far less predictable than seasonal climate trends.
Recent research has linked long term declines in the snowfall to human driven climate change, particularly in the Southwest, where rising temperatures have reduced the amount of snow that accumulates and persists.
While the effects of warming on overall precipitation remain uncertain, the net outcome for much of the western US has been a diminishing snowpack.
Cold weather set records far from the storm’s center as well. Houston’s Hobby Airport reached a maximum of only 48 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, breaking the previous coldest 1 December daytime high of 51 degrees recorded in 1974.
Temperatures in the city are expected to swing sharply upward, with readings near 70 degrees forecast by midweek.
For New England and the mid Atlantic, this will be the first winter storm of the season, marking a sharp early December divide between a snowy East and a snow starved West.