Ice, snow may turn roads into 'skating rink' in eastern US on Monday

Ice and some snow will accompany a weak storm and surge of milder air into the eastern United States through Monday night.

"While heavy precipitation is not anticipated by the storm at this time, it just takes a small amount of ice to make roads and sidewalks a skating rink," according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

Icy conditions unfolded around St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis on Sunday and Sunday night from the same storm.

The extent and severity of frigid air in recent days have made the ground quite cold. Temperatures in many locations dipped as low as the single digits and below zero at night this past weekend. It will take some time for the ground to thaw.

Even though air temperatures are forecast to approach and surpass the freezing mark in many locations early this week, moisture falling from the sky or forming on these surfaces due to condensation may freeze for a time.

Ice or a mixture of snow and ice made roads slippery from the Ohio Valley to the Tennessee Valley and the southern Appalachians during Monday morning.

During Monday evening, ice and dangerous travel will extend along the upper part of the mid-Atlantic coast to southern New England.

Meanwhile, as temperature slip back below freezing over part of the Ohio Valley during Monday night, some untreated surfaces may become icy due to fog and drizzle.

"We expect a 4- to 8-hour period of freezing or frozen precipitation in the coastal mid-Atlantic," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek.

The icy conditions may develop at time when kids get out of school and/or when people area head home from work.

A mix of snow and sleet may accompany the freezing rain and drizzle for a time in part of this zone.

Farther north, all or mostly snow is forecast. Snowfall over much of New England is likely to range from a coating to a couple of inches, where enough snow may fall to make roads slippery.

However, even where snow occurs instead of freezing rain, higher temperatures may cause the snow to become slushy and may be much more slippery when compared to the past couple of weeks.

Plain rain is forecast for much of the Deep South and the lower mid-Atlantic coast. Downpours will be locally heavy along the Gulf coast, where there may also be thunder and lightning.

Roads and sidewalks that have been treated with ice-melting compounds will fare much better than those that have not been treated in this situation.

For people who have grown tired of the cold weather or are hoping to catch a break with their heating bills, temperatures more typical of January are forecast for much of the week. Temperatures should even rise well above normal on one or two days.

A second surge of mild air may be preceded by a period of freezing rain, drizzle or sleet at midweek in parts of the central Appalachians.

A more substantial storm with drenching rain and the risk of flooding will affect the region on Friday and Saturday. The same late-week storm may bring ice and snow on its northern and western flank.

AccuWeather’s winter forecast released in early October accurately predicted the coldest air of the season to arrive in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic in January. The outlook called for chillier winter conditions this season to translate to an above-normal snow season, highlighting the corridor from New York City to Boston to stand the best chance of abundant snowfall.

Report a Typo