First snowfall of the season coming soon to NYC, Philly and Boston
Two clipper storms will deliver accumulating snow to millions from the Midwest to the Northeast, including the first snow of the season for major cities.
AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno breaks down the areas that could get snow in the Midwest and Northeast this weekend.
Two clipper storms will race from the northern part of the Plains through the Ohio Valley then off the mid-Atlantic coast through this weekend. Each storm will produce accumulating snow in a narrow zone for 1,000 to 2,000 miles. Snow-lovers and skiers will jump for joy, while travelers will cringe at the slippery roads and airline delays they will bring, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
The heaviest snow from the storms is forecast to fall on portions of Montana, where a broad area with 6-12 inches of accumulation is expected. There will be even heavier pockets of snow with 12-24 inches and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ accumulation of 48 inches in the mountainous terrain.
First clipper storm bringing snow to the Ohio Valley
Snow will continue Friday morning across portions of the Ohio Valley including places like Louisville, Kentucky, and Charleston, West Virginia. These cities should not get a heavy snowfall from the storm, but even a coating to an inch in the cold conditions can make for slippery travel.
Since the moisture-starved storm will be moving so quickly and the Appalachian Mountains will filter out most of the available moisture, only a coating of snow is expected in eastern Virginia and parts of the Delmarva Peninsula.
No snow is forecast to reach areas from Philadelphia to Boston with this first clipper storm, but that is likely to change with the next round as the second clipper rolls along.
2nd clipper will send snow to I-95 Northeast
The second clipper storm, compared to its predecessor, is forecast to track about the same over the Plains and upper portion of the Mississippi Valley then swing 100-200 miles farther north as it reaches the Atlantic coast. The implications of this will result in similar areas of snow for the Midwest.
The snow from this second clipper could spread farther south into Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
Cities in the Midwest to the West Virginia mountains that will get two rounds of accumulating snow from the storms include Davenport, Peoria, Cincinnati and Charleston. The combination of the two storms may leave 6-12 inches of snow on the ground.
As the second clipper storm crosses the Appalachians, it may lose some moisture — just like the first clipper did. However, the second clipper will slow down just enough for the storm to grab some Atlantic moisture and take a slight northward track along the East Coast.
There may be a gap or drop in snowfall accumulation along the Interstate 81 corridor in Virginia, western Maryland and Pennsylvania, while snowfall becomes more widespread along the Interstate 95 corridor of the Northeast.
The steady movement of the storm will prevent a heavy snowfall in the I-95 Northeast. However, since it will be the first general snowfall of the season in the zone from Philadelphia to New York City and Boston, with 1-3 inches of accumulation forecast, it will lead to slippery conditions on the roads, requiring treatment, and result in delays at area airports due to de-icing operations. The number of auto accidents from the minor snowfall may be higher than usual due to the first snowfall of the season and motorists needing a refresher on winter driving skills.
There is a potential for pockets of heavier snowfall to occur in parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England, where snowfall may range from 3 to 6 inches. This is more likely to occur in southern New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula, rather than in New York City.
Wicked cold follows pair of clipper storms
In the wake of the second clipper storm, the coldest air of the season so far will empty out of northern Canada, but it could be one of the last brutally cold blasts for a while.
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