Blustery winds, spotty snow to aim for Great Lakes, northeastern US up to Christmas Eve
In the wake of the disruptive rainstorm from Friday, the weather over the northeastern United States will be a bit more wintry with rounds of cold winds and even a bit of snow for some areas into Christmas Eve.
Cold air returned to much of the region on Saturday, which is the first full day of winter. The winter solstice occurred at 5:23 p.m. EST on Friday. Even in eastern New England and coastal areas of the lower mid-Atlantic will notice a quick temperature drop Saturday night.
The return to colder weather will allow some ski resorts in the region to replenish their base of snow that was lost during the recent rainstorm. The back side of the storm dropped up to 18 inches of snow on the southern Appalachians and a general 1-3 inches on the Alleghenies in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania during Friday night.
Much of Sunday is likely to be tranquil and good for travel from the Appalachians to the Atlantic seaboard.
However, an Alberta clipper storm is forecast to race southeastward across the Great Lakes Sunday afternoon, the northern Appalachians Sunday night and then off the Atlantic coast early Monday.
Since moisture available to the storm is likely to be limited, snowfall will tend to be spotty. While the mountains tend to pick up the most snow from such a storm, accumulating snow sometimes falls in narrow bands outside of the higher elevations.
December's full moon is known as the Cold Moon. It's set to rise on Dec. 22 during the peak of the minor Ursid Meteor Shower. You may not see many shooting stars, but you will get to bask under the bright moonlight.
Some areas from Michigan to West Virginia, western Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, western Virginia, New York state and New England have the potential to receive a coating of snow from the storm by way of a snow shower or two.
Areas from the northern Great Lakes to the central and northern Appalachians have greater chance of picking up an inch or two of snow.
Motorists venturing along Interstate 75, I-76, I-79, I-80, I-81, I-87 and I-90 from late Sunday to early Monday may encounter some slippery spots.
Any snow shower that manages to whiten the ground into early Monday may not last with temperatures forecast to climb above freezing Monday afternoon in parts of the Ohio Valley and areas east of the Appalachians.
The best bet for a bit of snow to remain on the ground into Christmas morning will be over the Upper Midwest, the higher elevations of the Appalachians and the northern tier of the Northeast.
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