The upcoming storm is expected to bring a significant amount of snow and ice to the interior south-central United States before moving towards the Atlantic coast this weekend. Meteorologists at AccuWeather warn that the mid-Atlantic and parts of New England could be impacted by this storm. This new winter storm is part of a busy January weather pattern following a massive storm that stretched over 1,500 miles last weekend. While this new storm will initially take a more southern route across the Central states, it could shift northward, potentially bringing more snow to the mid-Atlantic and parts of New England.
The storm is likely to cause major travel disruptions in the Southern states this weekend, with risks of interstate highway closures and thousands of flight cancellations and delays from Dallas to Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte. The southern Appalachians, still recovering from Hurricane Helene in September, will face additional challenges as the storm approaches.
The storm is expected to track from the Texas coast on Thursday towards the Georgia and South Carolina coast by late Friday night, bringing substantial snow and ice to the southern Appalachians and an icy mix to areas in Georgia and the Carolinas. Slippery conditions are anticipated in cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greenville.
Further east, areas like Augusta, Columbia, and Fayetteville are likely to experience primarily rain with some ice and wet snow at times. The storm will bring freezing temperatures to untreated areas, creating hazardous conditions in the Southeast.
As the storm moves eastward through the Southeast, it is forecasted to exit off the coast of North Carolina early on Saturday morning. While the heaviest snow and ice will be concentrated in northern North Carolina and southern Virginia, some light snow may extend into the central Appalachians and parts of the mid-Atlantic and New England on Saturday into Saturday night.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict that an area from the southeastern U.S. to the Northeast will experience travel delays on Saturday, urging travelers to plan accordingly and avoid dangerous road conditions.
Following a brief respite, a fresh bout of lake-effect snow is on the horizon for areas stretching from Michigan to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. This anticipated weather pattern is expected to bring along its own set of challenges for travelers in the Great Lakes region, beginning from Saturday evening and persisting through to Monday.
As the weekend progresses, a relatively mild storm system is projected to track across the Midwest, settling into the Northeast by Monday. This system is likely to introduce a broad area of light snowfall, contributing to potentially treacherous road conditions.
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