A wide area spanning from Missouri to southern New England is set to endure the wrath of continuous winter storms, from Wednesday through Thursday. The forecast predicts that this region will receive a light, yet perilous, coating of ice during this period.
The likelihood of accumulating at least 0.10 inches of ice is highest in the northern parts of Indiana and Ohio extending into central Pennsylvania, as well as the mountainous regions of Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. There are certain locations where ice accumulation could exceed 0.25 inches, particularly in central and southern Pennsylvania and western Maryland. Such heavy ice buildup can lead to the bending of trees and power lines, resulting in power outages, and create hazardous travel conditions ranging from difficult to nearly impossible.
While the storm may not bring significant snowfall, a few inches are anticipated in the northern Great Lakes, Upstate New York, and parts of New England. Instead, a messy mix of various types of precipitation, including sleet, freezing rain, snow, and rain, is expected in many areas.
In Chicago, precipitation could commence as a mix of sleet and freezing rain on Wednesday evening before transitioning mainly to freezing rain overnight. Some freezing rain or drizzle may persist overnight before gradually tapering off by daybreak on Thursday.
According to a forecast model, the storm will deposit ice across the region from Wednesday to Thursday. Cleveland is likely to encounter freezing rain overnight on Wednesday, possibly mixed with sleet at the onset. As temperatures rise above freezing on Thursday morning, the precipitation may switch to rain.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, the icy mix will spread to parts of the Appalachians and eventually encompass a large portion of the Northeast throughout the day. Pennsylvania is expected to bear the brunt of the storm’s icy conditions, with sleet and freezing rain forecasted for much of the state on Thursday morning, particularly in central and southern regions.
In regions like New Jersey, New York, including New York City, and New England, precipitation may initially begin as snow early Thursday morning before transitioning rapidly to sleet and freezing rain.
Although warmer air will follow the storm on Thursday and aid in melting some of the ice, the respite will be short-lived as cold weather returns, heralding the arrival of another storm that may evoke a sense of déjà vu. This subsequent storm is anticipated to form in the Plains late on Friday, intensify by early Saturday, and then spread a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain across a similar area as the first storm over the weekend.
The specifics regarding the timing, type, and amount of precipitation for this upcoming storm are still evolving, but there is a possibility of another round of disruptive icing for the Midwest and Northeast. With only a brief window of approximately 24 hours between the conclusion of impacts from the first storm and the onset of the second one, some regions may face back-to-back challenges.
Looking ahead,
