Weekend storm will bring the next round of snow to the Northeast
Following waves of rain and a surge of springlike warmth, parts of the Northeast may have to reach for the snow gear again beginning late this weekend as a new, colder storm moves in, warn AccuWeather meteorologists.
The storm, which will be the last in a series that will soak parts of the South with over a foot of rain, will first move through the Ohio Valley and the southern Appalachians to start the weekend on Saturday. After that, it will arrive with chillier air over the Northeast on Sunday, but the opportunity for wintry weather will not be equal from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast, like during the heart of the cold outbreak a week ago.
"After multiple rounds of rain and ice this week, the incoming storm this weekend is expected to feature a swath of accumulating snow across the Great Lakes and interior Northeast," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.
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For most along the Interstate 95 corridor, it will be another chilly rain from Washington to Baltimore to Philadelphia to New York, say AccuWeather meteorologists. Combined with recent heavy rain, a temperature spike and snowmelt that has caused area rivers and streams to run high, the rainfall could renew the threat of flooding.
"The final round of rain expected beginning on Sunday may not produce eye-popping rain totals," said Buckingham. "Despite that, it can still be enough to increase the risk of flooding."
In the run-up to this storm, more significant flooding is possible to end the workweek, with flood watches already posted for portions of the Northeast.
Some places will have recorded several inches of rain when this nearly week-long run of storminess concludes early next week. Before then, enough cold air can arrive that even the big cities can get a brief changeover to snow on Sunday night into Monday. Whether or not that snow is consequential and causes travel issues highly depends on the storm's track.
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"The exact track of the storm will depend heavily on the location of an area of high pressure across the Midwest and Great Lakes between Friday and Saturday," pointed out Buckingham. "If the high is anchored farther south, the storm will be forced to take a more southerly track."
That more southerly track would allow colder air to make it farther south by early in the week, increasing the risk of accumulating snow even to the coast.
The threat of snow, and even an icy mix, seems like a surefire bet farther inland. AccuWeather meteorologists say that the area at greatest risk for this travel-snarling wintry weather from Saturday night through Monday extends from the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes into the interior Northeast and New England.
"The storm is expected to help force enough cold air southward from Canada to produce a swath of heavy, wet snow," warned Buckingham.
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Akron and Cleveland, Ohio; Albany, Elmira and Binghamton, New York; and Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, are among the cities where a few inches of snow and slippery travel are possible to end the weekend. Because of that, any flexible travel or outdoor plans should be moved up to the end of the workweek or the start of the weekend before the cold and stormy weather arrives.
Similar to earlier this week, there may also be a zone of icing from sleet or freezing rain. The warm weather to end the week-when temperatures can exceed 50 or even 60 degrees-should limit impacts to secondary roads and sidewalks rather than major highways.
Behind the storm, chilly but drier air will be around for a few days to start the new week, but indications are that February may begin as January ended: on a largely mild note.
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Snow falls on a residential street in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. City hall was closed, and school districts declared snow days. Travel bans were issued for several suburbs. The winter blast comes days after a storm that delayed an NFL playoff game for a day. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) |
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