Snow showers, frigid air to hang around Northeast following nor'easter
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Feb 3, 2021 10:44 AM EDT
A winter storm hits Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 31, as the city streets get buried under deep snow. This drone video captured by Kyle Bower shows the winter scenery.
Even after a marathon winter storm moves away from the Northeast by the middle of the week, residents across the region digging out from a fresh blanket of snow will face additional disruptive impacts.
The slow-moving nor'easter that is brought up to 3 feet of snow to the Northeast will push into Atlantic Canada Tuesday night. However, areas of snow showers will linger on the backside of the storm into midweek.
Locally heavy showers will occur over the mountains of northern West Virginia, Maryland and much of Pennsylvania with flurries extending all the way to the Chesapeake and Delaware bay regions into Tuesday evening.
A widespread concern is in urban areas, especially in the Interstate 95 corridor, where snow or a wintry mix occurred and turned to slush on Tuesday. Plunging temperatures caused untreated wet and slushy areas to freeze Tuesday night and to remain frozen into the morning commute on Wednesday. Motorists and pedestrians should be prepared for icy patches, even if surfaces appear to be wet. The same pattern may repeat from Wednesday night to early Thursday.
On Wednesday, snow will continue to fall for a time from far northeastern Pennsylvania and central New York to Maine.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz, an additional snowfall accumulation is likely into Wednesday in parts of the Northeast. The best chance for an additional inch or two will be in northwestern New England and into the mountains of New York and Pennsylvania where snow showers will be heavier.
Even in areas where this additional snow does not accumulate, there may not be much of an improvement in conditions.
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As the nor'easter moves north into Canada, an area of high pressure that has been building over the center of the country will begin to push east on Wednesday. Gusty winds can develop between these two weather features.
"Blustery and cold weather will follow the storm through Wednesday," said Benz, adding that areas that picked up heavy snowfall earlier in the week can encounter blowing snow and reduced visibility.
Wind gusts up to 30 to 40 mph can blow the snow around, even in areas where snow is not actively falling. Drifting snow can be a problem in open areas in suburban and rural settings.
In addition to reduced visibility, motorists traveling along interstates 76, 80, 81 and 83 should be cautious of snow blowing onto roadways which can lead to slippery travel conditions.
Gusty winds will also make it feel even colder across the Northeast as a blast of Arctic air moves in behind the storm. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are forecast to be 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the actual temperature.
Any lingering snow and gusty winds will end across Pennsylvania and much of New York by Wednesday night and into Thursday for New England as drier air moves in as a result of the high pressure area.
After a quick break from the unsettled weather on Thursday, the next winter storm is forecast to arrive by the end of the week.
While this next storm is forecast to be fast-moving and bring all or mostly rain from New York City to Washington D.C., and Roanoke, Virginia, a zone of wintry mix is in store from parts of the central and southern Appalachians to central New England with snow from western Pennsylvania to northern New England.
A blast of Arctic air is forecast to follow this weekend, but the pattern may not be that simple.
"We will be monitoring the press of Arctic air into the Eastern states this weekend as there is the potential for a storm to spin up and rapidly strengthen, which could have consequences ranging from heavy snow for some areas, heavy rain for others and high winds for many," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski warned.
Overall, the pattern during February looks to be quite stormy for the East and the coldest part of the month is likely to be the first half.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Snow showers, frigid air to hang around Northeast following nor'easter
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Feb 3, 2021 10:44 AM EDT
A winter storm hits Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 31, as the city streets get buried under deep snow. This drone video captured by Kyle Bower shows the winter scenery.
Even after a marathon winter storm moves away from the Northeast by the middle of the week, residents across the region digging out from a fresh blanket of snow will face additional disruptive impacts.
The slow-moving nor'easter that is brought up to 3 feet of snow to the Northeast will push into Atlantic Canada Tuesday night. However, areas of snow showers will linger on the backside of the storm into midweek.
Locally heavy showers will occur over the mountains of northern West Virginia, Maryland and much of Pennsylvania with flurries extending all the way to the Chesapeake and Delaware bay regions into Tuesday evening.
A widespread concern is in urban areas, especially in the Interstate 95 corridor, where snow or a wintry mix occurred and turned to slush on Tuesday. Plunging temperatures caused untreated wet and slushy areas to freeze Tuesday night and to remain frozen into the morning commute on Wednesday. Motorists and pedestrians should be prepared for icy patches, even if surfaces appear to be wet. The same pattern may repeat from Wednesday night to early Thursday.
On Wednesday, snow will continue to fall for a time from far northeastern Pennsylvania and central New York to Maine.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz, an additional snowfall accumulation is likely into Wednesday in parts of the Northeast. The best chance for an additional inch or two will be in northwestern New England and into the mountains of New York and Pennsylvania where snow showers will be heavier.
Even in areas where this additional snow does not accumulate, there may not be much of an improvement in conditions.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
As the nor'easter moves north into Canada, an area of high pressure that has been building over the center of the country will begin to push east on Wednesday. Gusty winds can develop between these two weather features.
"Blustery and cold weather will follow the storm through Wednesday," said Benz, adding that areas that picked up heavy snowfall earlier in the week can encounter blowing snow and reduced visibility.
Wind gusts up to 30 to 40 mph can blow the snow around, even in areas where snow is not actively falling. Drifting snow can be a problem in open areas in suburban and rural settings.
In addition to reduced visibility, motorists traveling along interstates 76, 80, 81 and 83 should be cautious of snow blowing onto roadways which can lead to slippery travel conditions.
Related:
Gusty winds will also make it feel even colder across the Northeast as a blast of Arctic air moves in behind the storm. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are forecast to be 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the actual temperature.
Any lingering snow and gusty winds will end across Pennsylvania and much of New York by Wednesday night and into Thursday for New England as drier air moves in as a result of the high pressure area.
After a quick break from the unsettled weather on Thursday, the next winter storm is forecast to arrive by the end of the week.
While this next storm is forecast to be fast-moving and bring all or mostly rain from New York City to Washington D.C., and Roanoke, Virginia, a zone of wintry mix is in store from parts of the central and southern Appalachians to central New England with snow from western Pennsylvania to northern New England.
A blast of Arctic air is forecast to follow this weekend, but the pattern may not be that simple.
"We will be monitoring the press of Arctic air into the Eastern states this weekend as there is the potential for a storm to spin up and rapidly strengthen, which could have consequences ranging from heavy snow for some areas, heavy rain for others and high winds for many," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski warned.
Overall, the pattern during February looks to be quite stormy for the East and the coldest part of the month is likely to be the first half.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo