A pair of winter storms are poised to impact the central and eastern United States this week, bringing a variety of weather hazards including snow, ice, rain, and the potential for travel disruptions and power outages. This follows a week of severe weather that included tornadoes in Tennessee and Kentucky, and ice and snow across the Midwest and Northeast.
The first storm will emerge into the southern Plains early in the week, spreading precipitation across parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas by Monday, and reaching the East Coast by Tuesday.
“The first storm from Monday night to Wednesday night will occur as cold air expands farther south and meets up with moisture spreading north from the Gulf. This can lead to accumulating snow that may impact millions from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic states and southern New England, with the potential for significant travel impacts across the big cities in the region from late Tuesday into Tuesday night,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.
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Cities like Dallas, Little Rock, and Nashville are expected to primarily see rain and possibly thunderstorms due to warmer temperatures. However, areas further north, from Kansas through the mid-Atlantic, will experience colder temperatures, leading to sleet, freezing rain, and snow.
Snow accumulations of 1-3 inches are expected from Springfield, Missouri, to Louisville, Kentucky, with higher amounts, potentially exceeding 6 inches, in West Virginia, Virginia, and areas closer to the coast. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for this event is 14 inches. A risk of ice accumulation from sleet and freezing rain also exists, particularly in parts of West Virginia and Virginia. Portions of Interstate 81 in Virginia are expected to be affected during the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes.
The storm’s core will move offshore from the mid-Atlantic coast on Wednesday, but lingering moisture could mean some areas experience little to no break in precipitation before the next storm arrives.
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Midweek Storm Takes a Northerly Track
“Another storm is expected to closely follow on the heels of the early week storm, impacting many of the same areas beginning on Wednesday,” noted Duffus.
While the Great Lakes region and upper Ohio Valley will largely avoid the first storm’s impacts, the second storm will bring snow and potentially ice to cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo. Forecasters warn of a potentially more expansive area of sleet and freezing rain with this second storm, especially across the mid-Atlantic and New England.
Cities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Binghamton, New York, and Springfield, Massachusetts, could be within the core of the ice zone later this week.
The storm will track northeastward through Thursday, bringing snow, ice, and rain before exiting New England. High pressure will move in behind the storm by Friday, bringing drier weather to the Ohio Valley and Northeast.
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