An active weather pattern will continue to bring persistent winter storms across more than 20 states until the end of February, disrupting daily activities and causing widespread travel delays. “The start of February has been quite disruptive, and we can expect to see a series of winter storms affecting many areas for most of the month,” stated AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. He added that there will be a flurry of storms throughout February in various regions. AccuWeather’s team of long-range experts accurately predicted back in September that February would witness a high level of winter weather impacts across the nation, particularly in the Northeast. “The forecast we made in September is unfolding just as we expected,” noted AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg.
The onslaught of winter storms commenced last week, with a storm bringing snow, ice, and challenging travel conditions to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast from Wednesday night through Thursday. This same storm also triggered damaging thunderstorms in Kentucky and Tennessee. Another storm bringing snow and ice moved through the Northeast over the weekend, with up to three more storms forecasted for the upcoming week and weekend. “Snow and ice will be prevalent from the southern Plains to the Northeast this week,” Lundberg remarked. “To the south, there will be rounds of rain and thunderstorms, some of which may be severe.” By the end of next week, parts of the Southeast could receive over six inches of rain, increasing the risk of flooding. In the northern regions, efforts to clear roads and spread salt will be ongoing as each storm brings its own mix of winter weather.
The path of each storm will play a crucial role in determining whether areas along the Interstate 95 corridor in the Northeast will experience primarily snow, ice, or rain. Early this week, the storm track is expected to shift southward, increasing the likelihood of snow rather than mixed precipitation in cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Later in the week and into the upcoming weekend, the storm track is predicted to shift north again, diverting snow and ice concerns to the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, interior Northeast, and northern New England.
The continuous barrage of storms will result in significant disruptions for millions of people from the Plains states to the Atlantic Seaboard, including hazardous commutes, school closures, business interruptions, and travel delays at major airports. These disruptions may be exacerbated by the consecutive nature of the storms. While most of the storms in this active period will impact the eastern half of the country through mid-February, one late-week storm could bring heavy rain to California, potentially leading to concerns about flooding in fire-ravaged areas of Southern California before moving eastward. For enhanced safety and ad-free experience, consider subscribing to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app to access advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts provided by expert meteorologists who monitor and assess dangerous weather conditions 24/7 to ensure the
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