A storm of “historic” proportions is set to sweep across the northeastern United States, beginning with light flurries on Thursday night and lasting through Saturday evening. The powerful winter weather system is expected to dump snow, sleet, rain, and hurricane-force winds from Connecticut all the way up to Maine. Start stocking up on food and supplies; things could get pretty ugly out there. Here, everything you need to know about Winter Storm Nemo, 2013’s first nor’easter:

• How much snow are we talking about?
  The National Weather Service says that southern New England, which will get the brunt of the storm, could see anywhere from 18 to 24 inches between Friday and Saturday. Suffolk County in New York is under blizzard watch, as are parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island,reports The Associated Press. New York City is expecting slightly less snow — somewhere between 4 and 6 inches. The storm could be as bad as the historic blizzard of 1978, which dumped more than 2 feet of snow and blew through New England with hurricane-level winds. A few analysts say Nemo could be one of the 10 most powerful storms in the history of the region.
  
  
• What kind of damage are forecasters anticipating?
  The area could see “widespread power outages with winds of this force,” says Weather.com. Highways will likely be paralyzed (plan your commute accordingly.) Communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Long Island could see some coastal flooding as well. 

Why is it called Nemo?

Your bathroom scale isn’t lying: You really are gaining winter weight. Consider it an unmistakable reminder that long before we were regularly bombarded by ads featuring the immaculate abs of celebrities and multi-day cleanses that taste like grass clippings, our ancestors needed those extra couple of pounds to protect them against the season’s inclement weather. From an evolutionary standpoint, it’s why that extra helping of pasta, that greasy slice of pizza, or even that stale, sprinkled donut all appear extra tempting when the temperature drops a few degrees. 

Explained: Why we get so fat during the winter

Cartoon of the day: Winter wildlife
CAMERON CARDOW © 2013 Cagle Cartoons

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In Scotland, a group of New Year’s revelers reacts in appropriate horror at the freezing conditions of the River North during the annual Loony Dook Swim on Jan. 1. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

9 hilarious images of people taking the polar bear plunge

33 percent of Americans feel pressured to go to work even when they’re sick. But you can transmit the flu from up to 6 feet away. 

Maybe you should think about staying home next time?

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When it comes to keeping your face warm, most parkas leave you out in the cold. But not the wildly enveloping Matt Nylon Hooded Down Jacket, which zippers over your face, built-in goggles and all, and includes ventilation holes to prevent suffocation. “Although, that could be a better fate than venturing outside in this,” says Andrew Liszewski at Gizmodo. Shipped exclusively from Italy, the coat costs $424 — and, says Liszewski, “the only other cost is your dignity.”

From our collection of bizarrely elite consumer products

It looks like the sun is smiling on the economy. The green winter is propping up many businesses in various ways, and that “means more green in your wallet,” says Marilyn Geewax atNational Public Radio. Here, six ways the warm weather is helping the economy:

1. Fewer layoffs: In a typical January, about 424,000 workers are laid off for weather-related reasons. This January, only 206,000 people were let go.
2. Lower gas costs: The average consumer spent $643 this winter on natural gas, compared with $888 in the winter of 2008-2009.
3. More cash leads to more spending: With extra cash on hand, consumers spend more — which in turn boosts economic growth

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(Source: theweek.com)