Eastern US may face wet, snowy weather as millions celebrate the end of 2018
AAA has released its top 10 year-end travel destinations list for 2018. The list shows temperatures play a huge role in where people go.
An active weather pattern is likely to set up across the eastern United States to close out 2018, while much of the West could turn out dry but cold.
"Many celebrators across the eastern half of the country may contend with some wet weather while the West faces winterlike cold to start the New Year," AccuWeather Long Range Meteorologist Max Vido said.
Keep up to date with the latest forecast in your area for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day by downloading the free AccuWeather app.
Stormy weather pattern to close out 2018 across eastern United States
A barrage of storms will put the final icing on the cake to what has been one of the wettest years on record for many eastern U.S. cities.
Three storms could sweep across the Eastern states within the final days of this year. The last one of these could occur right around New Year's.
Enough cold air could be in place to allow a swath of snow to fall from the Upper Midwest to parts of the Great Lakes. A mix of rain and snow may set up from parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley to the mid-Atlantic, while mainly rain falls farther south.
While it is too soon to determine the potential for severe thunderstorms across the Deep South, any heavier downpours could lead to flooding problems given the amount of rainfall possible from the previous two storms.
"The onset of precipitation will be critical for outdoor celebrations and firework shows that thousands of Americans will be attending," Vido said.
The first of these three possible storms will impact the region on Friday. The second storm is expected to move across the region over the weekend.
"The storm forecast to bring more rain to the south this weekend would have to cut farther to the north into the cold air to bring snow to parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic region," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"The southern storm is not, at this time, expected to come far enough north to bring much, if any, snow on Sunday," Sosnowski said.
Travel may also be slowed by heavier downpours across the Southern states with wet conditions bringing the risk of hydroplaning.
The wet weather could linger into New Year’s Day and impact some of the college football bowl games. This includes anyone tailgating prior to the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
The ball drops during the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP)
Early indications are that temperatures across the Northeast will not be as cold as last year.
New York’s Times Square had one of its coldest ball drops on record last year with a midnight temperature of 9 degrees Fahrenheit. This made it the second coldest New Year’s Eve on record in the city.
However, Vido also stated that there is a high likelihood that rain will arrive Monday afternoon in the City and continue into Monday night.
This third storm responsible for the wet New Year's Eve in Times Square may track so far to the north that any snow or ice problems may be confined to northern New England on Monday night.
"The storm around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day will pull a lot of warm air into the Northeast, allowing most of the precipitation to fall as rain," Sosnowski added.
Chilly end of 2018 possible across western United States
The coldest air so far this winter will likely set up across the western U.S. to close out the year.
The jet stream may take a sharp dive southward across the West, allowing cold air from Canada to advance southward.
"Outdoor celebrators should prepare to bundle up with warm clothing as a fresh discharge of arctic air is expected to pour into much of the West," Vido said.
The core of the cold would set up across the Rockies. Some of this cold air could even advance west of the Cascades and along the Interstate-5 corridor from Seattle to Portland, Oregon.
A storm system could also track along the jet stream and bring areas of valley rain and higher-elevation snow to the southern and central Rockies.
The snow could give a boost to ski lovers hoping for some fresh powder when hitting the slopes on New Year’s Day.
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