Potential weekend snow in eastern US to follow 1st of three polar vortex episodes
The polar vortex is on the move with its Arctic blasts, but so are storms packing snow and ice. The weather pattern setting up over the next couple of weeks will be very winterlike in the Central and Northeastern states.
In today’s Forecast Feed, AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno monitors the risk of cold air and snow showers in the United States in the coming weeks.
A new winter storm is brewing for the upcoming weekend, but the extent of the snow, ice and rain will depend on how it interacts with a blast of Arctic air. The impending chill, tied with a shift in the polar vortex, is due to arrive from Wednesday to Thursday in the central and northeastern United States, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
The cold air and potential winter storm follow a broad zone of accumulating snow from Monday to Tuesday in the Midwest and the Northeast.
The Arctic air is expected to deliver subzero temperatures to the northern part of the Plains and the Upper Midwest and by far the lowest temperatures of the season so far for much of the Central states and Northeast.
"This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. "The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that. The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands."
Nighttime and early morning temperatures are forecast to dip into the single digits, 10s and 20s from the central and southern parts of the Plains to the Ohio Valley and interior Northeast, and the 10s and 20s in the Interstate 95 Northeast later this week.
Where it is windy, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are expected to be 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the actual temperature. Some daily record lows could be challenged.
Those who have not completed winterizing their homes and water lines or had their furnaces checked and heating oil or propane ordered may want to do so as soon as possible.
The setup from the middle of this week to the weekend may require full midwinter clothing and outerwear. In areas where ski resorts have not received significant natural snow, snowmaking operations are expected to be in full swing to gear up for the ski season.
As the leading edge of the Arctic air advances, patches of flurries, snow and heavier snow squalls could accompany the front as it sweeps across the Great Lakes region and into the northern part of the Appalachians.
The snow may be brief and sporadic, associated with the Arctic blast, but it can accumulate several inches, leading to slippery conditions. Travelers on highways and airways should be prepared for potential delays. Some school delays, early dismissals or cancellations are also possible.
Exactly how the cold push interacts with a storm over the southern United States will determine the extent of accumulating snow and a slippery mixture of snow, ice and rain versus just rain from Friday night to Sunday in the eastern part of the nation.
"Should the cold air push too forcibly into the Northeast late in the week, the storm will escape out to sea with mostly rain for the Southeast and perhaps a narrow zone of snow, ice and rain or snow on its northern edge," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
"However, should the cold air sit back just a bit in the Northeast and let the storm strengthen as it nears the Atlantic coast, it could turn into a heavy snow accumulation from the southern Appalachians and Piedmont all the way to the interior mid-Atlantic and much of New England," Rayno explained.
If conditions align in a certain way, there could even be accumulating snow close to or through the Interstate 95 corridor in the Northeast this weekend.
Outside of the potential for weekend storms, a swath of snow is expected to arrive on Tuesday, accompanied by additional lake-effect snow and squalls associated with the upcoming setup. More pockets of snow from small-scale storms, lake-effect and squall events are forecast to follow in the couple of weeks ahead, which would make for travel difficulties and disruptions to school activities.
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