AccuWeather.com

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Mar 31, 2011; 2:01 AM ET

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For a larger version of this snow map, visit the AccuWeather.com Winter Weather Center.

March will go out like a lion across the Northeast with a major snowstorm in the works for Thursday night and Friday.

The potential exists for the late-week storm to drop over a foot of snow, definitely making the storm far more potent than the nuisance snow event tracking into the mid-Atlantic today.

At this time, AccuWeather.com meteorologists expect the heaviest snow to spread northward across the corridor from northeastern Pennsylvania through much of Maine.

Cities within this zone include Albany and Binghamton, N.Y., Montpelier, Vt., and Lebanon, N.H. Snow totals in the neighboring highest elevations could even top a foot.

Less snow is currently forecast for the Northeast's Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia to New York City to Boston, but that could change if the storm travels farther offshore than anticipated.

"A shift in the storm track by just 100 miles could mean the difference between several inches of heavy, wet snow and barely any precipitation at all," cautioned AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Brian Edwards on Tuesday.

Since the exact storm track is not set in stone, all residents across the Northeast are urged to check back with AccuWeather.com for the latest updates.

Places in the path of the highest snow totals could face tree damage and power outages. With temperatures close to freezing, the snow will be heavy and wet in nature.

Widespread disruptions to travel are sure to result as roads become snow-covered and slick. Children may not be able to pull April Fools' jokes on their fellow classmates since schools will likely close for Friday.

Travel hazards away from the heaviest snow area will be greatest at night and in any intense bursts of snow during the day.

Compared to the wintertime, snow cannot accumulate on roadways as easily this time of year due to the stronger rays of the sun.

"Paved and concrete surfaces absorb [the sun's] energy causing them to become relatively warm, making it difficult for the snow to accumulate," stated AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

Sosnowski continued, "However, an accumulation can happen on roads and sidewalks during the day if the snow is intense enough."

One thing is for certain that this March will be going out like a lion across the Northeast, opposite from the old saying "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb."

That old saying stems from the fact that "the month generally starts unsettled and chilly, while the end of the month typically turns milder as spring begins," explained Edwards.