Stormy late-January setup raises risk for snow and ice impacts
Paired with a long-lasting cold pattern, AccuWeather long-range forecasters are highlighting a storm later this week and into the upcoming weekend that could pose a widespread risk of snow and even ice.
Widespread snow, gusty winds and life-threatening cold to grip the Plains, Midwest and East from Friday into Sunday. AccuWeather is tracking the storm’s exact path.
Late in the month, a changing weather setup could favor the development of large storm systems capable of spreading snow, ice and rain from portions of the mountainous Northwest into the Plains and East. It is looking much more likely that a major storm with snow and ice will affect the south-central part of the United States late this week, with eyes for the Appalachians and Atlantic Seaboard this weekend.
Through midweek, numerous shots of cold, Arctic air and rounds of snow will continue to impact portions of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast states. Frigid, gusty winds blowing across the lakes will promote more rounds of lake-effect snow. Visibility could be sharply reduced in heavy bands of snow, with travel becoming hazardous in some locations.
Cold pattern settles in for the long haul
The cold conditions that have set in across the Midwest and Northeast will be here to stay for the foreseeable future, AccuWeather forecasters warn.
“Cold air will still be in place the weekend of Jan. 24-25, and there is a signal that there can be a storm during that period, which can help to usher snow across the eastern U.S.," noted AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers.
As the cold lingers and even strengthens as the week progresses, the threat of frostbite and hypothermia will grow for anyone spending time outdoors. The sustained Arctic chill will also result in increased heating and energy usage across roughly a third of the nation.
Risk of snow and ice across more than two dozen states
From Friday into the weekend, a far-reaching storm is expected to gradually swing out of the Rocky Mountains and into the Plains before barrelling across the eastern United States. Given the cold air that will be in place across the region, wintry impacts are likely across a large swath of the storm track.
Exactly where this storm sets up and tracks will determine where the snow and ice will be. Residents from Colorado and Wyoming through the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts are urged to stay on alert for forecast updates, especially with the threat of ice becoming a possibility.
"The ingredients are coming into place for a long-duration storm that brings a substantial amount of snow, sleet and freezing rain from Texas and southern portions of the Plains to the lower and middle parts of the Mississippi Valley late this week and then into the East this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
"There is the potential for snow and ice to reach deep into the heart of Texas and along the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors farther to the east in the Central states and then farther north along the I-81 and 95 corridors," Sosnowski added. "Given the magnitude of the cold air that follows the storm, many areas in the Southern states could struggle with an icy grip of winter with some damage to infrastructure and major travel difficulties, the scope of which will be revealed in the coming days as more details of the storm unfold."
As a notable dip of the jet stream pattern becomes more enhanced over the coming weeks, it will help reinforce the cold air filtering southward from Canada. Perhaps the most substantial expanse of cold air for the entire winter will develop late this week and this weekend, surrounding the storm.
Even into February, AccuWeather long-range forecasters are concerned that the temperature trend will remain below typical for this time of year for a large part of the nation.
"Our long-range forecast for February calls for below-average temperatures across much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation, with the biggest departures from normal in the Midwest," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg stated. "For areas west of the Rockies, above-historical-average temperatures are in store, with the greatest departures in the Southwest."
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