Rounds of snow to create hazardous travel from Midwest to Northeast into next week
Those planning on travel in the Upper Midwest and the Northeast through this weekend may encounter some delays on the roads and at the airports, due to waves of Arctic air packing areas of snow.
Strong winds and heavy lake-effect snow hit New Buffalo, Michigan, on Jan. 14. Nearby towns report 6 inches of snow and gusts up to 40 mph.
A cold-weather setup will take hold across the north-central and eastern United States through the end of the month with few interruptions. Clipper storms will ride along in the waves of cold air, producing rounds of light snow, heavier squalls and bands of very heavy lake-effect snow. Regardless of the amount of snow, roads will be slippery where snow falls.
Several crashes were reported across the region earlier this week amid blustery snow showers, including a 30-vehicle pileup on Interstate 90 near Elkhart, Indiana, Wednesday, and another multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 in western Pennsylvania Thursday.
"Back-to-back rounds of wintry weather will bring snow to the interior Northeast and Great Lakes," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. "A foot or more of snow could pile up in areas downwind of the Great Lakes and across higher elevations by the end of the weekend."
One clipper storm finished up in the Northeast Thursday night. However, the next clipper storm, with its snow, is already advancing from the Upper Midwest toward the interior Northeast.
With this clipper storm, snowfall in most areas will be light, generally ranging from a coating to a couple of inches.
There will be some locations along the northern tier where moderate snowfall of 3-6 inches is expected. Areas along the Michigan shoreline of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan will also pick up fresh snowfall.
In the wake of this clipper storm, the lake-effect snow machine will resume.
"Road conditions can deteriorate rapidly when snow bands move through," Buckingham said. "Drivers should slow down and increase following distance. Sudden drops in visibility and slippery roads are a dangerous combination.”
Some of the heaviest lake-effect snow through Saturday night will fall along the Michigan shoreline of Lake Michigan and in portions of western and northern New York state.
From 1 to 3 inches of snow is forecast to fall over much of eastern Pennsylvania, just north and west of Philadelphia, as well as northwestern New Jersey and much of the Hudson Valley. Skiing interests in the Poconos, Catskills and Berkshires, as well as the Alleghenies and Green Mountains will find up to a few fresh inches of natural snow to ski on Saturday night and Sunday.
Rain and snow showers are forecast to extend from the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains to Maine Saturday, including in the metro areas of Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. While these will generally not accumulate in the heart of urban areas, outlying locations could pick up a brief coating of snow if it snows hard for a few minutes.
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The conditions may be wintry enough to prompt aircraft deicing operations, which can delay flights. Much more snowy conditions are in store for Pittsburgh, Detroit and Chicago Saturday, relative to the Interstate-95 corridor.
As if one clipper storm was not enough, yet another Canadian storm is forecast to drop southeastward Sunday over the Great Lakes region.
Most of the moisture and the corresponding snow with this storm will be a bit farther north than its predecessors, but it will still manage to bring enough snow to create slippery conditions as far south as Chicago and Detroit later Sunday and Sunday night.
The clipper storms will stir up the atmosphere enough to create episodes of gusty winds. The combination of wind and cold will make it difficult to be outdoors for extended periods. Winds could be strong enough to affect lift operations at some resorts for a brief time.
Meanwhile, a storm will track northeastward along the Atlantic Coast on Sunday. Some roads will become slippery in the Southeast states for a time. Enough snow is forecast to fall in the coastal Northeast to prompting shoveling and plowing operations.
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