Cold air is firmly in place across New England today, setting the stage for an impactful Thursday snowfall. While this is a quick-hitting system, it will still bring accumulating snow for most areas before tapering off in the evening. The fluffier consistency at the start will make roads snow-covered quickly, leading to slippery travel. In this video, Danielle covers the next 24 hours – so be sure to check back in for Insights later today with updated information on tomorrow’s event.
The weather pattern across the United States remains active with a strong contrast between cold and warm air masses. A deep upper-level low remains anchored off the Pacific Northwest coast, funneling repeated rounds of heavy precipitation into the West. In California, an atmospheric river event is waning, but additional snowfall of 1 to 3 feet is expected in the Sierra Nevada through early Thursday. The Cascades and Northern Rockies will also see heavy snow, with accumulations of 1 to 2 feet possible.
Meanwhile, the Central U.S. is experiencing a sharp temperature gradient along a stationary front draped from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. The Southern Plains and Southeast are enjoying record warmth, with highs reaching the 70s and 80s in parts of Texas, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In contrast, Arctic air is entrenched across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, where temperatures will struggle to rise above zero in parts of Montana and North Dakota.
A developing storm system over the Ohio Valley will bring wintry weather to portions of the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast by Thursday. Freezing rain and sleet are expected from the Ohio Valley into central Pennsylvania, with the potential for hazardous ice accumulations in parts of West Virginia and Maryland. Further north, accumulating snow is likely across Upstate New York and interior New England.
Elsewhere, dry and breezy conditions in the Southern High Plains could lead to an elevated fire weather risk in parts of eastern New Mexico, western Texas, and Oklahoma.
A quiet but cold day is expected across the Northeast as high pressure builds in from the west. Winds will be blustery at times, especially in New England, where northwest gusts of 20-30 mph will add to the chill. Highs will struggle to reach the 20s across northern New York and New England, while the Mid-Atlantic remains in the 30s.
Attention then turns to an approaching storm system set to bring wintry weather on Thursday. A low-pressure system tracking through the Great Lakes will send a warm front into the region, spreading snow into the Northeast early Thursday morning. As warm air aloft surges northward, precipitation will transition to sleet and freezing rain across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and southern New England. A light glaze of ice is possible in these areas, especially in the higher elevations of the Catskills, Poconos, and Berkshires. Northern New York and interior New England will remain cold enough for primarily snow, with accumulations of 3-6 inches expected in the Adirondacks, Green Mountains, and White Mountains.
As precipitation tapers off Thursday night, colder air will filter in behind the departing system. A brief period of upslope snow showers is likely in the Green and White Mountains before drier weather arrives Friday. However, another system is on the horizon for the weekend, which could bring another round of wintry precipitation, particularly for northern areas.
