Will cold clipper storms finally bring snow to NYC, Philly and Boston?
Chicago, Detroit, Des Moines, Iowa, and even Richmond, Virginia, have picked up accumulating snow so far this year--but when will it be New York City's, Philadelphia's and Boston's turn? The clock may be ticking down.
AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno breaks down what you can expect in the coming days as widespread cold and snow make their way through the north-central and eastern U.S.
Quick-moving storms originating from western Canada will continue to streak along through this weekend amidst waves of Arctic air. At least one of the storms this weekend could bring the first measurable snowfall to some areas near the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.
“More snow and bitterly cold winds are on the way for millions across the Midwest and Northeast this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
The first clipper in the series moved through the northern tier of the United States between Tuesday night and Wednesday night. The snow threat is not over, as flurries, snow squalls and bands of lake-effect snow will follow through Thursday night.
Second clipper storm to track farther south with snow
The next clipper storm in the series will gather snow over portions of the Canadian Rockies to Montana through Thursday. Parts of Montana will be buried under a foot of snow from the storm and another that follows on its heels.
A small part of this storm will race southeastward across the northern and central Plains Thursday to the Ohio Valley by Friday. Indianapolis and Cincinnati may be on the receiving end of enough snow to require shoveling and plowing.
The narrow zone snow will continue to race along during the day Friday into Friday evening, spreading from Kentucky and West Virginia to portions of Virginia and Maryland. Several inches of snow are forecast to fall on the West Virginia mountains, but a coating to an inch of snow may extend to the east along the Interstate 64 corridor of Virginia.
Snow to reach I-95 Northeast this weekend
Motorists and airline passengers in the Northeast this weekend should be prepared for one or more periods of snow that result in travel delays. This includes the millions of people that reside in or will be traveling through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
After blanketing part of the Appalachians, the first part of the storm could fizzle out before reaching the Atlantic Seaboard. However, if the storm is able to tap into enough moisture, intermittent snow and flurries may extend all the way to the coast in the mid-Atlantic by Friday evening.
The second and larger part of the storm will follow hours later this weekend across the Plains, the southern part of the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley states and Appalachians as a new surge of Arctic air arrives.
A woman helps a child with sledding in New York's Central Park on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The date marked the last time measurable snow was observed on the ground for the location. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
This part of the storm will try to strengthen as it reaches the Atlantic coast Saturday night and Sunday, where the air may be cold enough for snow or a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain.
"Because the coldest air may be delayed a bit near the Atlantic coast, it is not quite a sure bet for all snow along the I-95 corridor of the Northeast this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist Eddie Walker said.
But, any way you look at it, with one storm versus the other or even if a wintry mix is involved, "there is the likelihood for the first accumulating snow of the season in the Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia to New York City and Boston this weekend,” AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin said.
The timing of the accumulating snow for the bulk of the I-95 corridor of the Northeast is from Saturday night to Sunday midday.
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