Final week of 2023 to usher more rain across Northeast
Mild conditions are likely to squash hopes for snowfall in the Northeast right after Christmas; instead, rain is likely to linger for the first half of the week.
In an El Niño year like this one, which states have the best chance at snow? AccuWeather’s Tony Laubach breaks down the details.
Most locations across the Northeast will have a rather dry Christmas holiday, but a return to wet weather is expected for the final week of 2023.
An area of high pressure over the Northeast through Sunday night will keep it dry for most of the holiday weekend and even into Monday. However, an incoming storm will deliver widespread rain to the region, adding to the already impressive monthly rainfall totals.
"The same storm expected to deliver snow in the center of the country before Christmas is expected to move through the Ohio Valley and Northeast following Christmas Day," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
Some portions of Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia may get rain as early as Monday afternoon, while most people in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia can expect rain to arrive by midday on Tuesday. This will bring rain back to cities like Buffalo, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.
The storm will be slow to progress northeastward, allowing rain to linger in many areas for several days, especially near the Great Lakes. Detroit, Columbus, Ohio, and Syracuse, New York, could end up with wet weather for most of next week.
Rain is likely to hold off until Tuesday night before moving into places from Long Island to the Boston Metro and the rest of New England, but a few pockets of drizzle can be present across some areas, especially on Monday. Once the rain begins, however, it is likely to stick around until the end of the week.
Widespread rainfall amounts of around 0.50 of an inch are forecast from the Ohio River Valley to the Eastern Seaboard next week. However, some locations from Virginia to Massachusetts could be at risk for a few inches of rain.
Roys explained that the rain falling across the Interstate 95 corridor will target a region that has already experienced quite a wet December thus far. New York City measured more than 5 inches of rain during the first 20 days of December, about one and a half times the historical average. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has reported 6.22 inches of rain in December, more than twice the norm.
"Because of the recent rains, some locations may be more susceptible to flooding," Roys warned. Low-lying areas could have ponding of rainwater, slowing holiday travelers and dampening any outdoor plans.
Interior portions of the East have had less rain so far this month and could benefit from the rain. This is especially true across the mountainous areas of Virginia, which remain in a moderate or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Some parts of western and central New York are also still experiencing drought conditions and could use the rain.
Those hoping for some snow to add to the holiday spirit in the final days of December will likely be disappointed for most of the week.
The rain will be accompanied by a surge of warm air, significantly limiting the chances of snowflakes through the first half of next week. However, colder air diving down into the Plains and Great Lakes may promote some snow showers across the interior Northeast by late in the week.
According to AccuWeather's Long Range experts, chillier conditions are in the forecast for the final days of 2023 in the Northeast.
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