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For the first time in months, Ithaca is being coated by a light snowfall — part of a larger storm sweeping the Northeast at this surprisingly late date. Up to four inches are expected to cover the region before 8 a.m.
It could serve, perhaps, as a fitting bookend to one of the strangest weather seasons in memory. Despite Cornell's reputation of inhabiting the frosty corridor of New York, students have enjoyed a remarkably mild spring semester.
Complementing its warm temperatures, the City of Ithaca has been on pace for a record low snowfall, as only 21.1 inches had fallen this year before Sunday. Monday's storm therefore created an almost surreal landscape, though the extent of the storm's impact on Ithaca remained unclear as of 3 a.m.
"Snow will stick to some roads and create slippery conditions," according to WeatherUnderground's report.
The precipitation will likely be worse for many of Ithaca's western neighbors. A report from AccuWeather.com warns that "people residing in the mountain regions of West Virginia to Pennsylvania and western New York should prepare for the possibility of no electricity for days."
The Wall Street Journal reported that snowfall of six to 14 inches are forecast for the Allegheny Mountains and noted that snow advisories are posted for West Virginia, western New York and "extreme northeastern" Ohio.
From the AccuWeather report: "An April storm tracking north along the eastern coast of the U.S. will bring heavy, wet snow from the Appalachians of West Virginia, across western Pennsylvania and into southwestern New York. There is a potential for the snow to bring down tree branches, which in turn could drag down power lines."
Continue checking cornellsun.com for updates on the late April snowstorm.