Wintry storms coming to Northeast through Christmas week
A series of clipper storms will bring areas of snow, ice and rain to the Northeast through the weekend after Christmas. Each storm will bring its share of travel problems in the region.
In today’s Forecast Feed, AccuWeather Chief Video Meteorologist Bernie Rayno discusses a post-Christmas storm that will bring accumulating snow to parts of the I-95 corridor, with snow changing to sleet in Philadelphia, and likely a significant snowstorm to New York City and Long Island.
Multiple clipper storms bearing snow and ice will pass through New England and part of the mid-Atlantic this week, with one storm on deck for Tuesday, a second on Christmas Eve and a third the day after Christmas. Each storm will bring its share of joy to some snow lovers and problems for travelers.
Some locations may miss getting snow and ice from one or all three storms. Others may be on the receiving end of wintry precipitation from all three. Which areas receive the most freezing or frozen precipitation will depend on the exact track of the storms.
Building warmth over Texas, which will expand over a large part of the central and southeastern United States, will hit the brakes before reaching the Northeast. This, paired with cold air in the wake of each clipper storm, will pave the way for subsequent rounds of snow and ice.
Moisture will be limited for most of the storms in the train due to their quick movement, and that will tend to prevent excessive snowfall. However, even a small amount of snow or ice can create significant travel problems and delays due to slippery roads and deicing operations at airports.
1st storm: Through Tuesday evening
A clipper storm that produced spotty snow from Wisconsin to Michigan and Ohio on Monday will cycle through the Northeast into Tuesday evening. Just enough snow will fall along much of the Interstate 80, 81 and 87 corridors to create slippery conditions into Tuesday midday. From Tuesday midday to Tuesday evening, slippery conditions will unfold in much of New England.
On Tuesday, just enough snow will fall on New York City to produce a coating on non-paved areas and perhaps some streets and highways in the metro region, especially north and west of Route 287, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.
In Boston, 1-3 inches of snow is forecast. A mixture of snow, sleet and rain is in store for the South Coast of New England and parts of the New Jersey shore.
Much of the area from northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania northward will pick up at least an inch of snow from the storm, with 3-6 inches of accumulation from northeast New York and parts of northern New England. Greater than 6 inches, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches, in southwestern Maine.
Farther south, enough snow may fall near Philadelphia to create slippery spots, especially outside of the city in the morning.
Some snow or snow showers with blustery conditions will linger in parts of New England and northern New York for a time on Wednesday. Winds may be strong enough to cause some blowing and drifting snow.
2nd storm: Wednesday into Christmas Day
The next clipper storm in the series may be split into two parts, with a colder part and some snow for northern New York and northern New England, and a second and warmer part farther south that brings mostly rain and drizzle from the Ohio Valley to part of the mid-Atlantic coast.
Most of the snow, ice and rain from this storm in the Northeast will develop after dark Wednesday.
A pocket of spotty ice or a mix of a little snow, ice and rain may occur for a time Wednesday night into Thursday morning in parts of Pennsylvania, southern New York and northern New Jersey.
3rd storm: Friday into Saturday
The third clipper storm of the week will likely be the most problematic for parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England, as it will be a colder storm that tracks farther south than the others. There is the likelihood of accumulating snow from North Dakota Thursday night to the New Jersey and New York coasts by Friday night.
"Accumulating snow is coming to New York City with the storm from late Friday to early Saturday in New York City," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "Given the current estimated track of the storm, enough snow to shovel and plow seems highly likely."
The more southern track will mean more snow and ice of concern for areas farther south in the mid-Atlantic, including Philadelphia, and perhaps Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The key to snow in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England may be how quickly a secondary storm forms near the coast.
Those planning to travel or head out to hunt for post-Christmas bargains or return gifts may face some weather-related challenges.
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