Travel hazards will linger into new year even after Northeast storm recedes
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Jan 2, 2021 1:25 PM EDT
Traffic was brought to a standstill on Interstate 10 in Culberson County, Texas, as a winter storm blasted the region on Dec. 30, causing multiple accidents on the highway.
Even though COVID-19 has limited travel for many people over the holidays, millions will still be venturing back to their homes during the first weekend of 2021. The weather is forecast to cause some trouble spots on the roads and at the airports just as it has done over the past week as friends and family head home.
Motorists heading out from western and central Texas, northward to portions of the central Plains, Midwest and Northeast this weekend may still face travel troubles in the wake of the big storm that brought snow and/or ice over a 2,200-mile long swath.
Fueling up before the storm's arrival may be advantageous as some service stations may remain without power behind the storm.
Most major roads in the central United States that were affected by the storm Thursday into Friday will be open for any weekend travelers, but there is the potential for some secondary roads to be blocked by fallen trees or strewn with patches of slush and slippery conditions from Texas to Missouri, Iowa and Illinois.
In central and northern New England, as well as northern New York state, southeastern Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, difficult travel is likely to linger through Saturday, until the storm heads out to sea.
As if the storm was not enough, a second and smaller storm is forecast to take shape over the South Central states on Saturday and consolidate while moving northeastward during Saturday night and Sunday over the Appalachians and Atlantic coast.
The new, sneaky storm is expected to begin to take shape over parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri during Saturday in the form of spotty rain, snow and perhaps a bit of sleet. Wintry precipitation will then spread into the Ohio Valley states and Michigan during Saturday night. Enough snow may fall in this zone to bring a small slushy and slippery accumulation in some locations.
Part of the same storm system is likely to spread a swath of rain and wet travel northward from northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina during Saturday to North Carolina and Virginia Saturday night.
On Sunday, this storm system is forecast to spread rain farther north in the mid-Atlantic and the southern coast of New England. However, farther inland, the air may be just cold enough, especially over the hilly terrain in the southern and central Appalachians to central and northern New England, for a period of snow or intermittent snow that can make some roads slushy and slippery. Rain and patchy fog can lead to some delays at the major hubs from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City for a time this weekend.
But, the storm aiming for the Northeast may not stop as a bit of rain and snow. There is the potential for the storm to strength and stall near Atlantic coast, which could then result in enough snow to shovel and plow from parts of the central Appalachians to New England spanning later Sunday to Tuesday.
The Northwest will be another zone where trouble is likely on the roads and airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington.
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Storms will arrive on the Pacific coast every one to two days through the first week of January.
"Through the end of next week, we're looking at the potential for a total of six to seven storms to bring significant rain and mountain snow to the West Coast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and western U.S. blogger Brian Thompson said.
Motorists venturing over the passes through the Cascades should be prepared for slippery and snowy conditions. Snow tires and chains may be required.
Along the coast, rounds of rain will drench the Interstate 5 corridor from Washington to northern Oregon. Slippery conditions may be found over the higher terrain along the highway in southern Oregon and Northern California.
It is possible that a short break in the storms may extend from later Saturday night to the first part of Sunday with improved travel for a time before the next storm rolls ashore late in the weekend.
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
Travel hazards will linger into new year even after Northeast storm recedes
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Jan 2, 2021 1:25 PM EDT
Traffic was brought to a standstill on Interstate 10 in Culberson County, Texas, as a winter storm blasted the region on Dec. 30, causing multiple accidents on the highway.
Even though COVID-19 has limited travel for many people over the holidays, millions will still be venturing back to their homes during the first weekend of 2021. The weather is forecast to cause some trouble spots on the roads and at the airports just as it has done over the past week as friends and family head home.
Motorists heading out from western and central Texas, northward to portions of the central Plains, Midwest and Northeast this weekend may still face travel troubles in the wake of the big storm that brought snow and/or ice over a 2,200-mile long swath.
Fueling up before the storm's arrival may be advantageous as some service stations may remain without power behind the storm.
Most major roads in the central United States that were affected by the storm Thursday into Friday will be open for any weekend travelers, but there is the potential for some secondary roads to be blocked by fallen trees or strewn with patches of slush and slippery conditions from Texas to Missouri, Iowa and Illinois.
In central and northern New England, as well as northern New York state, southeastern Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, difficult travel is likely to linger through Saturday, until the storm heads out to sea.
As if the storm was not enough, a second and smaller storm is forecast to take shape over the South Central states on Saturday and consolidate while moving northeastward during Saturday night and Sunday over the Appalachians and Atlantic coast.
The new, sneaky storm is expected to begin to take shape over parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri during Saturday in the form of spotty rain, snow and perhaps a bit of sleet. Wintry precipitation will then spread into the Ohio Valley states and Michigan during Saturday night. Enough snow may fall in this zone to bring a small slushy and slippery accumulation in some locations.
Part of the same storm system is likely to spread a swath of rain and wet travel northward from northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina during Saturday to North Carolina and Virginia Saturday night.
On Sunday, this storm system is forecast to spread rain farther north in the mid-Atlantic and the southern coast of New England. However, farther inland, the air may be just cold enough, especially over the hilly terrain in the southern and central Appalachians to central and northern New England, for a period of snow or intermittent snow that can make some roads slushy and slippery. Rain and patchy fog can lead to some delays at the major hubs from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City for a time this weekend.
But, the storm aiming for the Northeast may not stop as a bit of rain and snow. There is the potential for the storm to strength and stall near Atlantic coast, which could then result in enough snow to shovel and plow from parts of the central Appalachians to New England spanning later Sunday to Tuesday.
The Northwest will be another zone where trouble is likely on the roads and airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Storms will arrive on the Pacific coast every one to two days through the first week of January.
"Through the end of next week, we're looking at the potential for a total of six to seven storms to bring significant rain and mountain snow to the West Coast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and western U.S. blogger Brian Thompson said.
Motorists venturing over the passes through the Cascades should be prepared for slippery and snowy conditions. Snow tires and chains may be required.
Along the coast, rounds of rain will drench the Interstate 5 corridor from Washington to northern Oregon. Slippery conditions may be found over the higher terrain along the highway in southern Oregon and Northern California.
It is possible that a short break in the storms may extend from later Saturday night to the first part of Sunday with improved travel for a time before the next storm rolls ashore late in the weekend.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo