The United States is expecting a widespread storm system that will move from coast to coast, carrying with it rain and wind as well as the possibility of snow. The Eastern Seaboard appears eager for this arrival since multiple major cities could encounter their first substantial winter precipitation in two years.
The East Coast is gearing up for an oncoming storm with uncertain timing and trajectory. However, recent forecasts lean towards a snow-heavy outcome, especially for parts of the Northeast region. The amount and location of accumulated precipitation will be greatly impacted by how the pathing develops and where the rain-snow line lands.
The early impacts of this weather system are already being felt by residents in the western part of the United States. Increased rainfall, mountain snowfall and surf conditions were experienced along the Pacific Coast on Tuesday. By Wednesday, it is estimated that areas inland, such as Great Basin and Southwest regions, will be affected with rain showers accompanied by moderate to heavy snowfall at higher elevations, particularly in certain locations like Nevada, Utah, and northern Arizona, which would get a significant amount of snow cover.
On Thursday, the southern Rockies will undergo significant snowfall in the early daylight hours. Later on, by afternoon, this storm system appears to progress towards southeast locations including the Southern Plains and causes mild thunderstorms and showers around western Texas during the evening. This hour is identified more specifically through short spells of intense rainfall and intermittent instances of thundering sounds within it.
Anticipated to escalate by Friday, the storm’s trajectory is moving towards the south. The risk of flooding may increase for the Gulf Coast with considerable rainfall expected in many areas. In addition, there is a slight probability of fierce thunderstorms that could cause destructive winds; nevertheless, heavy downpours are deemed as having a more significant impact in this location.
Anticipated for Saturday, the storm is projected to change its course towards the north. This will result in heavy rainfall along the Eastern Seaboard and spread of snow further inland. The most probable occurrence of snowfall is forecasted over areas bordering Interstates 81, 80 and 78 positioned on or above the northern side from Interstate-95 corridor. Expectation suggests that descending rain, sleet, and driving wind-snow mixture shall form hazardous traveling situations spreading across mid-Atlantic regions upwards through Appalachians till Northeast coastal lines.
The storm is expected to persist in its journey towards the northeast until Sunday. It will continue affecting many regions of New England with snow, rain, and wind. However, conditions are likely to improve by Sunday night in Washington D.C and Philadelphia, while cities such as Hartford Connecticut; New York City; Providence Rhode Island; and Portland Maine may experience a blend of sleet, wind, rain or snow.
The biggest unknown factor is the exact spot where rain transitions into snow. If the storm follows a route along the coast, cities near the ocean will experience more rainfall due to warmer air while heavier amounts of snowfall would occur only in areas farther inland such as Maine and Appalachian Mountains. On another note, if there’s a shift towards South direction followed by an offshore path trajectory; it might bring colder winds ushering heavy accumulations of snow from Washington up until the New York area.
Caution is being advised by meteorologists who state that the precise timing, intensity, and quantity of rainfall or snow cannot yet be determined. Nonetheless, they are able to determine regions where light to moderate amounts of snowfall could occur more commonly.
Anticipated to run along the rain-snow border, the I-95 corridor may encompass a range of weather conditions varying from a few inches of snowfall to dampened highways. Metropolises such as Washington, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, and Providence could experience moderate icy buildup.
Anticipate heavier snowfall and more accumulation in areas located to the north and west of the I-95 area, mainly situated within the interior Northeast zone as well as at higher elevations along the Appalachian Mountains. Harrisburg and Scranton—cities found in Pennsylvania; Poughkeepsie, Albany, Binghamton established throughout New York State—and Worcester from Massachusetts are set to encounter a few inches of snow due to their location within these regions.
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Cities located along the I-95 corridor could set a new record for significant snow events with just one inch or more, even if they do not experience substantial snowfall. This would break the current two-year-plus streak without any noteworthy accumulation of snow.
