A bone-chilling Easter storm threatens to dump up to five feet of snow as El Nino causes temperatures to plummet.
Thermometers will drop across large swaths of the United States this weekend amid warnings of ice storms, rain and blizzards.
A furious blizzard hurtling toward the United States could develop into a snow-laden Atlantic storm blowing from the northeast.
In the past few hours, the US National Weather Service issued severe winter weather warnings in six western states, including New Mexico, California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.
Areas of the east are preparing for snowfall at the end of the week
Weather channel
A spokesperson said: “The active weather pattern looks set to continue for the foreseeable future as a series of systems follow an active jet stream eastward from the West Coast across the South.
Snow accumulation is expected, especially in higher areas.
“This storm is moving east along the Gulf Coast and then into the mid-Atlantic this weekend. Impacts of heavy rain and snow are expected.”
The winter storm is then expected to head east across the United States, unleashing a mix of rain, snow and bitter arctic winds.
Latest in the United States:
Heavy snow accumulation later in the weekend
Weather channel
American meteorologists are monitoring the occurrence of a severe winter blast that may be linked to the strong El Niño phenomenon that occurred last year.
The El Niño phenomenon is the result of a change in the direction of the easterly trade winds, which leads to a change in ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
It could have an impact on global weather patterns, and in parts of the United States it could lead to colder winter weather.
El Niño continues to strengthen, prompting warnings that parts of the United States may be at risk of a particularly severe “El Niño” winter.
Warnings are also in place across the West
Noah
Jim Dale, US weather correspondent for the Met Office, said: “El Niño is still around and getting stronger since it was confirmed last year.
“This could make winters more severe, and as temperatures drop, we could see up to five feet of snow over the mountains, especially in Utah and Colorado.
“It definitely snows the first weekend of the month, and this weekend may not be the one that brings the worst, but that's something we're looking at now as we go into the beginning of the year.”
A deep low pressure area will strengthen this weekend as it moves north toward the East Coast.
New York and parts of New England are facing “significant” snowfall this weekend, according to The Weather Channel's Chris Dolce.
He said: The path of the depression will allow the storm to produce snow or a mixture of rain and snow in areas where its moisture interacts with cold air north and west of the path of the depression from the Ohio Valley to parts of the Appalachians. and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Saturday night and Saturday.
“Parts of southern New England, including locations near Interstate 95, have a greater chance of receiving significant amounts of snow.
“The storm could continue to become a northeasterly wind, which means it will have winds from a northeasterly direction along parts of the East Coast.”
“We know this is going to be a strong storm this weekend,” added The Weather Channel meteorologist Dominica Davis.
