Portions of Midwest, Northeast in line for first snowfall of the season
A large swath of the United States is transitioning from a fall to winterlike pattern, AccuWeather forecasters say. Some parts of the Midwest received their first snowflakes of the season this week and interior portions of the Northeast could do the same by next week.
The first of multiple cold fronts has already delivered much lower temperatures in its wake compared to earlier this week. Colder air began to pour into the northern Plains on Wednesday, and a few snowflakes started to fly in portions of North Dakota and northern Minnesota on Wednesday night.
By Friday morning, a small accumulation of snow was on the ground over parts of the northern tier of the Midwest. The Duluth, Minnesota, area picked up 1-3 inches of snow from Thursday night to Friday morning. A coating to an inch of snow also coated non-paved surfaces around Minneapolis.
A mix of rain and wet snow showers continued through Friday night into early Saturday morning in northern portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Even ahead of the next cold wave, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will dip to levels more typical of late November in some cases on Saturday morning.
RealFeel Temperatures ranging from the teens to the lower 30s will be common. The conditions will prompt those tailgating or heading to football games in the North Central states to bundle up.
Farther to the west and north, a much stronger push of cold air was building over Canada.
"A potent cold front will push a surge of cold air across the Great Lakes region into late this weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary said.
Some of the coldest air so far this season will push across the northern Plains through early next week. Not only will the new cold surge lead to another drop in temperatures, it is likely to unleash more significant snow over northern portions of the Great Lakes and cause snowflakes to fly much farther to the southeast.
Where snow persists from Sunday night to Tuesday over northern portions of Michigan and Wisconsin, several inches will pile up. Most of the snowfall will occur on non-paved surfaces, but many roads and sidewalks will likely become slippery and slushy due to the intensity of the snow showers.
Unlike the preceding air mass, the air that arrives later this weekend will dive much farther southeastward.
By Monday, colder air will be pivoting into the Northeast.
"Early next week, chillier, November-like air will be able to spread across much of the Northeast," said Sadvary.
The push of the cold air farther to the east will be aided by a system moving through southern Canada.
"Weak, surface low pressure is expected to produce rain and snow showers for much of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast," explained Sadvary.
By Tuesday, the cold air will reach the I-95 corridor. Forecasters say it is much too early in the season for snow in cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Farther inland, that is not necessarily the case.
"Many across the interior Northeast will receive the first snowflakes of the season, especially for those along the ridges of the Appalachians and the Allegheny Plateau in New York and Pennsylvania, as well as the Adirondacks," said Sadvary. Snow may also coat the ridges in western Maryland and West Virginia.
In most locations, snow will be mixed with rain. Rain may even be favored over snow during the warmest time of the day as temperatures rise into the 40s F on Tuesday. Only the highest elevations in northern New York and Pennsylvania may stay in the middle to upper 30s on Tuesday.
A gradual warming trend may commence over part of the Midwest by Wednesday, but below-normal temperatures and spotty flurries and snow showers are likely to persist over the higher elevations of the interior Northeast.
A slight warmup is possible by the end of next week in the Northeast, but temperatures are still expected to remain below normal, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
