In the aftermath of the superstorm Sandy, New York and New Jersey residents has found themselves coping with the first winter storm of the year. Snow, rain and sleet are falling in parts of the Northeast as a nor'easter sweeps up parts of the coast.
The new storm isn't expected pack anything close to Sandy's punch: wind gusts could reach 65 mph, with a 3-foot storm surge, NBC New York explains. But that, combined with a possible 6 inches of snow in some areas, could set back relief and recovery work in the region.
The storm, which is being called "Winter Storm Athena" by The Weather Channel, is expected to bring wind gusts over 35 mph and up to 6 inches of snow. Coastal flooding is also possible, as the storm affects areas still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, the Baltimore Sun notes.
After The Weather Channel trotted out the Athena name this morning, the National Weather Service office in Bohemia, N.Y., circulated an internal direction to staff not to use that term
"TWC has named the nor'easter Athena," said the memo, which a weather service spokeswoman confirmed. "The NWS does not use name winter storms in our products. Please refrain from using the term Athena in any of our products."
That position is in line with a public statement the National Weather Service issued at the time The Weather Channel first announced the naming plan, a statement the weather service sent again today.
"The National Weather Service has no opinion about private weather enterprise products and services," the statement said. "A winter storm's impact can vary from one location to another, and storms can weaken and redevelop, making it difficult to define where one ends and another begins. While the National Weather Service does not name winter storms, we do rate major winter storms after the fact."
The nor'easter prompted the evacuation of nursing homes and low-lying areas in New York and New Jersey today, and led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights as it dropped snow on the storm-ravaged Northeast. More than 600,000 businesses and residences were still without power due to Sandy, the superstorm that killed at least 120 people in the U.S. and Canada.
