AccuWeather.com

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Feb 29, 2012; 9:48 AM ET

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Snow is forecast to blanket the countryside Wednesday into Thursday in portions of New England and eastern upstate New York. (Photo by Dennis Tangney/Photos.com)

The same storm delivering a Leap Day blizzard to portions of the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest was spreading snow, ice and rain into the Northeast today.

The storm will result in slow travel for many, shoveling snow for some and umbrella weather for others.

**During the afternoon, a batch of heavy snow was expanding from northeastern Pennsylvania to part of the Hudson Valley of New York and into western Massachusetts and Connecticut. There is the potential for this snow to quickly coat roads along portions of I-81, I-84, I-87, I-88 and I-90. Several inches of snow can accumulate during a several-hour period.**

**Also during the afternoon, drenching rain was pushing eastward across southeastern Pennsylvania southern and central New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula. A mixture of rain, sleet and wet snow was moving eastward across the New York City area. However, few, if any road problems are anticipated in the New York metro area due to the timing of the event.**

A larger snowfall forecast map is available on AccuWeather.com's Winter Weather Site.

More widespread problems with snow and slippery travel will develop farther northeast this afternoon, tonight and on into Thursday.

A very marked increase in accumulation is expected a few miles north on the Thruway from New York City to Albany and on I-91 heading northward through the Connecticut River Valley.

According to Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski, "The storm will continue or get a second wind later tonight into Thursday."

From later tonight into Thursday, the southern edge of the snow and wintry mix area will erode northward, but only to a certain point.

If the storm behaves as expected, people from Albany, N.Y., to Rutland, Vt., Concord, N.H., Worcester, Mass., and portions of northern Connecticut could have snow up to their shins.

The storm has the potential to be the biggest single-snow event of the season for the cities of Albany and Boston, which escaped the worst of the freak snowstorm of late October. This is possible even though some rain can mix in for a time.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Brian Wimer, "During the midday and afternoon hours, the time of the day and the intensity of the snow and wintry mix will play a role on the condition of road surfaces."

Where frozen precipitation falls at a heavy rate, it will overwhelm the late-February sun effect and can accumulate on roads. This is possible in portions of New England, eastern upstate New York moving forward into Thursday.

"Snow would continue to accumulate on non-paved areas regardless," Wimer said.

Episodes of rain and even thunder will affect the balance of the mid-Atlantic today into tonight.

This map shows the general weather conditions expected during the day today.

As the storm evolves, delays from fog and low clouds could be problem at the airports for a time from the south coast of New England to the coastal mid-Atlantic.

AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Bill Deger contributed to the content of this story.