Batten down the hatches! The first big snow storm of 2016 is set to hit the eastern United States in a couple days. Dubbed Winter Storm Jonas by the Weather Channel, the blizzard is being hailed as the first big storm of the season, and weather experts are predicting dire conditions throughout the region.

So before you start stocking up on supplies and get ready to fend off cabin fever via some serious Netflix binging, here are the answers to some very basic questions that you should probably be asking.

What Areas Will Be Affected?

AccuWeather is forecasting some serious snowfall throughout the east with the affected areas stretching from Boston to Little Rock. The hardest hit areas (predicted to get at least a foot of snow) will likely include large part of (if not most of) Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as some part of eastern Kentucky, northern Delaware and northwest North Carolina. Areas between the Washington D.C. and New York City, along with some surrounding Tristate areas, are believed to get at least half a foot of snow. It’s still unclear just how much snowfall will arrive in central Pennsylvania and southern New England, but it’s believed there will be some snow there too.

When Is It Supposed To Start & How Long Will It Last?


According to the Weather Channel, Winter Storm Jonas is believed to kick off with some snow, hail and freezing rain throughout the southern states on Thursday, making its way up into Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina by Friday Morning—turning more into snow along the way. It should hit the northeast on Friday, bringing heavy snow to the D.C. area and making its way through Philadelphia towards New York. By Saturday, it’ll cover most of the mid-Atlantic region and be breaking into New England. On Sunday, Jonas will probably be greatly diminished and heading out to sea off the New England coast.

Why Is Everyone Making A Big Deal About It?

While the various different forecasting models and techniques differ on the finer points, according to Weather Underground, they all agree that winter storm Jonas could be the biggest East Coast snowstorm in over a decade. It’s also believed that the storm will bring high winds, which could result in the loss of power for A LOT of people, and cause some coastal flooding in New Jersey and parts of New England.

Okay, So What Should I Do?

The big thing is to get ready for the possibility to be snowed in. So stock up on a food, water and any medication that you can’t go a week without. You should also prepare in case you lose power, which means having flashlights with batteries on hand, along with a well-charged cellphone and non-electric heat sources at the ready.

Oh, and don’t even THINK about using any fuel-burning equipment, like a generator or a camp stove, indoors without ventilation—that’s how you get Carbon Monoxide poisoning. You should also stay off the road, unless it’s an emergency.

We suggest picking up a couple bottles of wine, pulling up that series you’ve been meaning to get into on Netflix and having a couple good books handy (for if the power goes out). Like most things named Jonas, this shouldn’t be too crazy.

Tags
Weather