Quick-hitting snow to precede potential blockbuster storm across the mid-Atlantic, Northeast
By
Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Dec 14, 2020 5:58 PM EDT
Mother Nature is going to be flipping the switch into full-blown winter mode in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic this week as a pair of storm systems are expected to bring rounds of snowfall to the area. The first of which could make for a tricky commute Monday morning.
The storm in question for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast has already dumped snow across the south-central United States, bringing snowfall to places like Oklahoma City. Courtesy of very fast jet stream winds well above the Earth's surface, the storm quickly raced through the Southern states late Sunday and Sunday night, reaching the eastern Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic states prior to sunrise on Monday.
As the storm continues to expand across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, travel conditions on portions of interstates 64, 68, 77 and 81, especially across the higher elevations and ridge tops of the Appalachians, may feature slick to snow-covered roadways for morning commuters on Monday. Portions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike could even feature a few slick spots during the morning as well.
Pedestrians should exercise caution on the north sides of buildings, as these areas tend to run a few degrees lower than areas that get sun exposure and could be slippery, even when most other surfaces are wet.
Snow will continue to expand northeastward through the day on Monday, tracking across eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and even into southern New England. During the daytime hours, temperatures are expected to be just marginally low enough to support snow rather than a chilly rain, so the higher snowfall accumulations may likely be found on non-paved and elevated surfaces.
Closer to the coast, places like Philadelphia, New York City and nearly all of New Jersey may have some snowflakes mix in, but temperatures are expected to be just high enough for the primary precipitation type to fall as rain. Again, if temperatures are slightly lower, a quick coating of snow is not completely out of the question.
As temperatures drop through the evening hours on Monday, any remaining untreated roads from West Virginia to eastern Pennsylvania and into southern New England will continue to feature localized slick spots, so we urge any travelers to take it slow in ice and snow.
Black ice can also develop in these conditions, so it is best to err on the side of caution if traveling Monday evening through early Tuesday morning.
While this storm will not end up being of blockbuster proportions early week, this will serve as a good reminder that it is time to make sure snow blowers are running properly and that it may be time to stock up on de-icing agents like rock salt or sand. If this storm doesn't require residents to bust out the shovels and snow blowers, another storm that will be brewing by midweek surely will.
The primary impactful weather from this system will come from the snowy side of the storm, but there will also be a round of chilly rain that will traverse the mid-Atlantic and Southeast as well.
The steadiest rain so far has stretched from the Deep South and Tennessee Valley on Sunday night, and will continue to spread northeastward into the southern Appalachians and Piedmont of the Carolinas and Virginia, as well as the Delmarva Peninsula during the day on Monday.
A fairly widespread swath of 1 to 2 inches of rain is likely, which may lead to localized ponding on roadways and minor flooding in typical flood-prone areas.
The storm system will largely track off the East coast by Monday evening, bringing an end to wet and wintry weather. A brief lull in wet weather is expected on Tuesday before the next winter storm develops by midweek.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Quick-hitting snow to precede potential blockbuster storm across the mid-Atlantic, Northeast
By Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Dec 14, 2020 5:58 PM EDT
Mother Nature is going to be flipping the switch into full-blown winter mode in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic this week as a pair of storm systems are expected to bring rounds of snowfall to the area. The first of which could make for a tricky commute Monday morning.
The storm in question for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast has already dumped snow across the south-central United States, bringing snowfall to places like Oklahoma City. Courtesy of very fast jet stream winds well above the Earth's surface, the storm quickly raced through the Southern states late Sunday and Sunday night, reaching the eastern Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic states prior to sunrise on Monday.
As the storm continues to expand across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, travel conditions on portions of interstates 64, 68, 77 and 81, especially across the higher elevations and ridge tops of the Appalachians, may feature slick to snow-covered roadways for morning commuters on Monday. Portions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike could even feature a few slick spots during the morning as well.
Pedestrians should exercise caution on the north sides of buildings, as these areas tend to run a few degrees lower than areas that get sun exposure and could be slippery, even when most other surfaces are wet.
Snow will continue to expand northeastward through the day on Monday, tracking across eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and even into southern New England. During the daytime hours, temperatures are expected to be just marginally low enough to support snow rather than a chilly rain, so the higher snowfall accumulations may likely be found on non-paved and elevated surfaces.
Closer to the coast, places like Philadelphia, New York City and nearly all of New Jersey may have some snowflakes mix in, but temperatures are expected to be just high enough for the primary precipitation type to fall as rain. Again, if temperatures are slightly lower, a quick coating of snow is not completely out of the question.
As temperatures drop through the evening hours on Monday, any remaining untreated roads from West Virginia to eastern Pennsylvania and into southern New England will continue to feature localized slick spots, so we urge any travelers to take it slow in ice and snow.
Black ice can also develop in these conditions, so it is best to err on the side of caution if traveling Monday evening through early Tuesday morning.
While this storm will not end up being of blockbuster proportions early week, this will serve as a good reminder that it is time to make sure snow blowers are running properly and that it may be time to stock up on de-icing agents like rock salt or sand. If this storm doesn't require residents to bust out the shovels and snow blowers, another storm that will be brewing by midweek surely will.
The primary impactful weather from this system will come from the snowy side of the storm, but there will also be a round of chilly rain that will traverse the mid-Atlantic and Southeast as well.
The steadiest rain so far has stretched from the Deep South and Tennessee Valley on Sunday night, and will continue to spread northeastward into the southern Appalachians and Piedmont of the Carolinas and Virginia, as well as the Delmarva Peninsula during the day on Monday.
Related:
A fairly widespread swath of 1 to 2 inches of rain is likely, which may lead to localized ponding on roadways and minor flooding in typical flood-prone areas.
The storm system will largely track off the East coast by Monday evening, bringing an end to wet and wintry weather. A brief lull in wet weather is expected on Tuesday before the next winter storm develops by midweek.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo