Calm Before Storm

View from our apt window about 8 a.m. Monday - blue sky and clear (for now)

Stella, a powerful nor'easter, is forecast to track along the East Coast late Monday through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Strong winds with gusts of up to 50 mph may cause blizzard conditions along some coastal areas. NASA and NOAA satellites are tracking the storm; images can be viewed online.

By mid-morning, it was not yet overcast

Until this latest forecast, the Northeast has experienced one of the warmest winters on record. This potentially massive and dangerous storm could blast the region with up to 18 inches of snow and winds capable of disrupting power, closing schools and creating travel chaos. The NWS warned that any change in track could dramatically alter the amount of snow and where it falls. But there is little doubt that a big storm will explode on the region.

Blockbuster March snowstorms, while not common, aren't unprecedented. According to the Weather Channel, two of the three largest and heaviest snowstorms in the Northeast since the mid-1950s occured in March 1960 and 1993. The 1993 system called the Storm of the Century, dropped major snowfall amounts from Florida to Maine, left about 300 people dead and crippled travel for days.

Stella certainly has the potential to cause just as much havoc. Within the next 24 hours, we may be seeing this view outside our window.

All these temperature fluctuations seem to be confusing Mother Nature who was getting ready for spring in the wake of recent warmer temperatures. Over the past couple of weeks, trees were budding. Last Friday, all-day snow flurries covered them.

We hope that Stella will spare serious harm and damage to folks. My snow day plans are already in place: sorting through photos and updating albums while watching a classic old movie on You Tube. And, I'm making a BIG pot of soup and will post the recipe on Tuesday.