Washington Readies for Second Blast as Snow Moves Toward NYC

Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Washington’s respite from paralyzing snow may come to an end today as storm systems barreling across the country bring as much as 20 inches (50 centimeters) to a region still snowbound from a weekend blizzard.

The latest blast of winter, which may also dump a foot of snow on New York, “is going to be accompanied by heavy winds, which will make it feel worse, and across the Northeast that wind is going to last through the weekend,” said Tom Kines, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

A winter storm watch was posted by the National Weather Service for New York beginning late today, as well as Rhode Island and southern Connecticut and Massachusetts.

A winter storm warning was posted for Washington starting at noon today, and 10 to 20 more inches may fall, the agency said. A snow emergency issued in the District of Columbia on Feb. 5 while as much as 40 inches of snow began falling over the mid-Atlantic region was lifted yesterday morning, the Washington Post said.

Crude oil rose for the first time in four days yesterday on the forecast, rebounding from a seven-week low. Heating oil also was up in yesterday’s trading.

A system moving in from the west is forecast to collide with a coastal system moving north. Kines said 6 to 12 inches of snow may fall along a corridor from Washington to Boston, and some areas may receive as much as 18 inches.

Cold Moves In

The snow will be followed by cold air that will drop temperatures 10 to 15 degrees below average, into the upper 20s in Washington, and be accompanied by heavy winds, he said.

“Expect near-blizzard or blizzard conditions to move northward across New York City and into Boston,” said Jim Rouiller, a senior energy meteorologist at private-forecaster Planalytics Inc., in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Winter storm watches, warnings and advisories stretch across the U.S. from New Mexico east to New Jersey and from North Dakota south to Alabama, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures from Southern California to Maine are expected to be below normal Feb. 13 to 17, according to the latest forecast by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center.

The region from Chicago to Detroit was expected to receive 6 to 12 inches of snow last night, Kines said. The ski areas of Pennsylvania and Virginia will get a boost from the storm, while resorts in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are likely to miss out, Kines said.

Futures Prices Up

Crude oil for March delivery rose 70 cents, or 1 percent, to settle at $71.89 a barrel yesterday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Heating oil for March delivery gained 1.07 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $188.55. Natural gas was up for most of today before dropping back on anticipation that inventories will meet demand.

At least 55,470 customers remained without power yesterday in Washington, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina following the weekend storm, according to utility reports. Of those, about 35,800 were in the Washington area, according to the Web site of Pepco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pepco Holdings Inc.

Many of Washington’s streets hadn’t been plowed yesterday, and that was causing delays in restoring power, said Bob Dobkin, spokesman for Pepco.

“No matter how big our trucks are, to operate in 3 feet of snow is difficult,” Dobkin said by telephone. “The last thing we need is more snow.”

Rouiller said the snow “has a very distinct potential of reaching crippling proportions from Washington and Philadelphia to New York City and possibly Boston.”

“If this upcoming storm indeed verifies, it will lift annual snowfall to historic levels and set many all-time snowfall records across this portion of the country,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at bsullivan10@bloomberg.net.