Storms loom with rain, snow and severe weather for central and eastern US next week

Two major storms will impact the central and eastern United States with areas of snow, rain and perhaps severe thunderstorms next week.

One storm will swing through the Central states on Tuesday, Feb. 7, then the Atlantic seaboard on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

The second major storm is scheduled to affect the Appalachians to the Atlantic coast on or around Thursday, Feb. 9.

Large swings in temperature are likely as the storms move along. Temperatures could fluctuate by 20 degrees Fahrenheit or more from one day to the next in some cases.

The storms are likely to bring major disruptions to travel and daily activities. The storms will bring the risk of flooding rain and damaging winds to some locations and enough snow to shovel and plow to others.

The storms will follow a swath of snow and wintry mix that streaks eastward from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic states this weekend.

"Since the storm this weekend will remove much of the cold air from the eastern half of the nation, the first big storm that rolls through next week will be a warm storm for many areas," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity.

Storm one to unload snow in Upper Midwest, raise severe weather risk in South

The major storm on Feb. 7-8 is likely to track northeastward and toward the Great Lakes.

In the storm's warm southern and eastern sector, conditions will be favorable for rain and thunderstorms.

"The storm early next week is likely to bring heavy thunderstorms and the possibility of severe weather to the Southern states," Margusity said.

Whether or not the risk of severe weather extends northward into parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic region will depend on how strong the storm becomes.

Such a track toward the Great Lakes would mean that any snow and ice will be brief and limited to the onset of the storm in the Northeast states.

However, on the northwestern and colder flank of the storm, a combination of heavy snow and wind is in store for parts of the central and northern Plains and the Upper Midwest. Exactly where the heaviest snow falls will depend on the track of the storm.

Winds could be a significant problem around the Great Lakes with the storm from Chicago to Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, New York.

This has the potential to be one of the strongest storms of the winter so far for the region. Winds could get high enough to cause flooding along the lake shore areas and perhaps to cause sporadic power outages. The strength of winds alone could be enough to trigger airline delays.

Late-week weather to feature chance of snow for parts of eastern US

The second major storm is slated for late next week. While less certain than the first, it could form on the heels of the first as colder air begins to push eastward from the Midwest to the Atlantic coast.

"How quickly the cold air pushes in will determine whether rain changes to snow from the Tennessee and Ohio valleys to the Appalachians and the St. Lawrence Valley," according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

How strong the late-week storm becomes will determine whether flurries or heavy, accumulating snow occurs. The strength of the storm will also determine if severe thunderstorms develop along the southern Atlantic seaboard.

Formation of a storm farther east would be a colder and snowier scenario for the coastal areas of the Northeast at the end of next week.

If the storm stays farther west, then rain and thunderstorms will occur along the Interstate 95 mid-Atlantic and New England corridors.

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