Strip of snow to extend from Colorado to Pennsylvania

After bringing heavy snow to the Rockies, a storm will spread a nuisance snowfall and travel difficulties over a narrow band of the central United States and into the central Appalachians to end this week.

A storm producing snow over the Intermountain West has shifted eastward and a band of snow has begun to set up along a nearly 2,000-mile-long zone from the Rockies to the central Appalachians, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

Into early Friday morning, snow will fall on portions of the Wasatch, Teton and Rocky mountains, with a general 6-12 inches but an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ snowfall of 44 inches.

While over the Rockies, the storm relied on moisture it carried from the Pacific Ocean. However, as the storm continues to progress eastward, its moisture supply from the Gulf may be limited.

Heavy snow will still fall on portions of northwestern and north-central Nebraska, but accumulations will taper down farther to the east.

"Accumulations will generally range from a coating to an inch or two as the snow streaks from the Mississippi Valley through Friday, to portions of the Ohio Valley during Friday and Friday night, and on to the central Appalachians during Friday night and Saturday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.

The ground has warmed up in recent weeks over the Central states, and when combined with energy from the springtime sunlight, the snow may struggle to accumulate during the midday and afternoon hours, especially on paved and concrete surfaces that were recently snow-free, Anderson explained. "Most treated roads should be wet along the way away from the High Plains."

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Motorists should still be prepared for locally slippery conditions and poor visibility at times due to the snow along the Interstate 80 corridor of the Central states, along with interstates 79, 81 and 99 near the central Appalachians. Flight delays due to deicing operations are likely where the snow falls at airport hubs.

From late Friday night to Saturday morning, a few flurries could reach as far east as parts of the New York City, Boston and Philadelphia metro areas—mainly the northern and western suburbs. However, no accumulation is expected.

This weekend, a secondary band of snow or patches of snow will develop over the Upper Midwest to the eastern Great Lakes. Accumulations in this area will tend to be light and sporadic.

As the weekend progresses, warmer air from the south will push northward over the Central states at first and then on to the Northeast by next week.

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