A GOES satellite has captured the massive winter storm hitting the Mid-Atlantic today as it progressed over the continent.
The satellite is operated by NASA and NOAA.
In South Florida, winds will howl and skies darken today as the dangerous storm marches into the Mid-Atlantic, brushing South Florida with the edge of its wintry reach.
National Weather Service forecasters in Miami are expecting up to 40 mph wind gusts this afternoon in Palm Beach County and showers that could leave as much as 2 inches of rain in their wake.
Thunderstorms and only the slightest risk of tornadoes are possible with the passage of the low pressure system, which is heavy with snow for northern states and moving methodically toward the coast.
“Any risk of tornadoes is pretty low, but it’s not zero,” said Robert Molleda, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Miami office. “We’re not talking about anything like we had last weekend, nevertheless, we can’t let our guard down as far as the possibility of strong winds as part of this storm.”
Three tornadoes spun through Florida on Sunday, killing two people in Duette, and damaging homes and businesses in Sarasota and Hobe Sound.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center lists South Florida as having a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms today with the passing of the cold front. Steep changes in temperature deep in the atmosphere coupled with strong winds suggests there is some opportunity for “rotation” to form, forecasters said.
This winter storm, dubbed Jonas by the Weather Channel, could cripple areas from Tennessee to Boston.