Winter weather roars to life: Early snow expands from Great Lakes to Northeast
The season’s first lake-effect snow will expand from the Great Lakes to the Appalachians and beyond as Arctic air plunges south, bringing the earliest flakes in years for some locations.
Lake-effect snow has caused dangerous conditions on roads and highways in Chicago, Illinois, on the night of Nov. 9 and early morning of Nov. 10. It led to a fiery crash and multiple slide offs.
As residents across the East come to grips with the coldest weather since last winter early this week, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the lake-effect snow machine will continue to roar. After months of dormancy, cold winds sweeping over the warm Great Lakes are sparking the season’s first significant round of snow from the shores of Lake Superior to Lake Ontario. However, the snow will expand beyond the typical bounds of lake effect.
Cold and snowy pattern
Brisk conditions will persist from the Great Lakes and Northeast to the Gulf Coast into midweek, with many locations forecast to have low temperatures dipping into the 20s and 30s to start the week — some even lower.
Winds gusting at 20-25 mph will send AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures even lower, making this sharp turn to winterlike weather hard to miss.
As the jet stream plunges southward and steady winds blow across the warm lake waters, the first notable snow event of the season will unfold from Illinois to New York state, particularly in the typical lake-effect snow belts south and east of the lakeshores.
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"This storm pattern will introduce some of the coldest air seen for early November, and that is the reason for the robust snow amounts expected in the Great Lakes and the far southern extent of the flurries into the southern Appalachians," explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill.
On Tuesday, there will be a high potential for dramatic hourly snowfall rates in the heaviest bands that develop. Elsewhere, snow showers capable of sticking to pavement could still cause travel disruptions for those who are out of winter driving practice or have yet to put winter tires on their vehicles.
"The lake-effect snow bands that set up can dump several inches of snow in a short period of time due to the vast temperature difference between the Arctic cold air and the very warm Great Lakes. Residents who live in the snow belts should prepare for treacherous driving conditions and near-zero visibility at times through early Tuesday," added Merrill.
Snow to reach well to the south and east
Farther south and east of the Great Lakes, accumulating snow will expand across southeastern Indiana, southern Ohio, central and northern Pennsylvania and the Appalachian Mountains. While some areas are projected to pick up a coating to perhaps an inch or two of snow, higher totals are expected in the elevated terrain from West Virginia into southwestern Pennsylvania.
The Poconos are forecast to pick up a light covering of snow and the first snow showers of the season are anticipated for New York City through Tuesday. Motorists heading westward along Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania should be prepared for slippery conditions over the higher elevations.
"For some of the major metro areas in the Midwest and Great Lakes, this snow is coming way earlier than average. Chicago O’Hare, on average, often records the first inch of snowfall accumulation on Jan. 17," said Merrill.
By Tuesday night, the lake-effect engine will start to wind down as the jet stream retreats north and a pocket of milder air spreads east from the Plains. While the break in snowfall will offer brief relief, forecasters caution that winter’s early arrival is likely a preview of more cold outbreaks and snow events to come as November continues.
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