Back-to-back weekend winter storms to sweep across eastern US with snow, rain and ice
Wintry weather can make for slippery and dangerous conditions across the eastern United States this weekend and into next week.
Snow coated communities across the Northeast on Jan. 16, marking the start of several days of wintry weather.
Storms tracking through the eastern US this weekend will bring just enough snow and icy conditions to make travel slippery from parts of the interior Southeast and the Northeast as the coldest air of the winter prepares to move in, AccuWeather meteorologists caution.
Precipitation from the initial storm to the second may blend together while pockets of dry air lead to precipitation missing some locations entirely. Where snow or an icy mix occurs, travel is likely to be slippery, and airline delays will result from deicing operations.
The second storm this weekend will be the most troublesome for the Interstate 95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and New England due to an expected snowfall that will be enough to shovel and plow in some areas.
As Arctic air advances, wet areas may freeze rather than dry off, especially from Sunday to Monday.
First of 2 weekend storms to be the mildest, rainiest
A storm crossing the Southeast states through Saturday night will bring soaking rain and even a few locally heavy thunderstorms. Urban flooding can result when the downpours last more than a few minutes.
Pockets of freezing rain and sleet were observed over the southern Appalachians at the onset of the storm early on Saturday.
More opportunities for wintry precipitation will soon follow in the Southeast.
"As the storm speeds off to the east from Saturday night to early Sunday, just enough cold air may seep in fast enough to bring a period of snow or sleet to portions of northern Alabama, northern Georgia, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee to make some roads slippery," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis said.
Even without frozen precipitation, wet areas can freeze later Saturday night to early Sunday as colder air moves in.
Farther north, the first storm will behave more like a front sweeping eastward with a bit of a warmup ahead of the front, then colder air coming in behind.
"Most of the spotty precipitation that occurs from Saturday afternoon to Saturday night would be in the form of snow or flurries in the Northeast," added AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist David Dombek.
Second weekend storm to be colder, snowier
The second storm of the weekend will follow quickly after the first storm. From Saturday night to Monday morning, cold air will be in place, and even colder air will move in as the storm travels along.
Because of the cold air's eastward push, the second storm will tend to remain weak, track farther to the east and bring more wintry precipitation closer to the Atlantic coast.
A swath of snow ranging from a coating in some areas to as much as a few inches will extend from the southern Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic coast spanning Saturday night and Sunday and central and southeastern New England from Sunday evening to early Monday. Accumulating snow may extend into the central Appalachians.
This means there is the risk of snow-covered and slippery roads from parts of Interstate 77 in North Carolina to I-95 in New England for the latter part of the weekend. This includes the metro areas of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Expect significant delays even if only a small amount of snow accumulates.
Because the second storm will gain some strength as it moves along, there is a significant chance of enough snow to shovel and plow in New England from Sunday night to Monday morning.
Wintry trouble brewing for next week in southern US
Frigid air will pour into the Central and Eastern states by early next week and will set the stage for the coldest presidential inauguration since the start of Ronald Reagan's second term in 1985.
The overall weather pattern will remain complex through next week. As the cold air spreads farther to the south and east, the risk of snow and ice will accompany that expansion.
AccuWeather meteorologists will be keeping tabs on two potential winter storms for the Southern states next week amid the colder weather pattern.
One or both storms could bring snow and ice as far south as I-10 and part of the Gulf Coast as early as Monday.
The combination of the winter storms and the upcoming Arctic blast from Sunday to Wednesday can put many people still struggling without proper shelter in Helene-ravaged areas of the southern Appalachians in danger.
At least one of those storms—most likely the second one—may try to travel farther to the north, with an opportunity for snow in the coastal Northeast later next week.
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