Much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States is bracing for a significant impact from winter storms over the coming weekend through early next week. Prior to the arrival of the major system, light snowfall was observed across parts of the Northeast on Friday afternoon. This particular system is projected to bring about 1 to 2 inches of snow from Maryland down to southern New Jersey by the end of Friday.
Areas along the Interstate 95 corridor stretching from Washington, D.C., up to New York are expected to experience a period of light snowfall throughout the evening commute. However, a staggering 45 million individuals are currently under winter alerts spanning from Kansas to Maryland in anticipation of a much larger and more consequential winter storm. This storm is set to engulf the eastern two-thirds of the nation from Saturday through Monday.
The National Weather Service has issued a warning, stating that impacts are likely to commence in the Central Plains by late Saturday before progressing across the Ohio Valley on Sunday, where significant travel disruptions are anticipated. Subsequently, the storm is predicted to advance into the Mid-Atlantic region on Sunday night and into Monday.
Heavy snowfall, substantial ice accumulation, and thunderstorms are forecasted to sweep across the country from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast, resulting in perilous travel conditions. Metropolitan areas such as St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati are poised to bear the brunt of the snow and ice, with expected snowfall totals ranging from 6 to 12 inches and ice accumulations ranging from .25 to 5 inches. These conditions have the potential to down tree limbs and prompt power outages.
The National Weather Service further cautioned that a combination of wind gusts exceeding 35 mph and heavy snowfall rates could lead to blizzard conditions in the Central Plains by Sunday morning. Whiteout conditions are anticipated, making driving extremely hazardous, if not impossible, and elevating the risk of individuals becoming stranded.
By Sunday, severe storms are projected to rumble through the South, potentially affecting approximately seven million people from southeast Texas to Mississippi and southern Tennessee. Hazardous sleet and freezing rain are expected to impact regions extending from eastern Kansas and the Ozarks all the way eastward to the Ohio Valley, with icing conditions also likely for portions of the central Appalachians on Sunday into Sunday night. Treacherous travel conditions are on the horizon, with power outages expected in areas where over a quarter-inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain is anticipated.
Monday is expected to be a chaotic day for the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions as the storm bears down on cities such as Pittsburgh, Richmond, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. The heaviest snowfall totals are projected to impact areas situated south of New York City.
Following the passage of this storm, Arctic air is poised to spill down from Canada, resulting in temperatures well below average for much of the following week across the northern Plains down to the Southeastern United States.
