A few ocean-effect snow shower and flurries will be floating around today, with little to no impact ahead of a burst of snow that arrives tonight. There will be a transition to a wintry mix and rain for some from south to north by pre-dawn Thursday. While not a major storm, slick travel is likely late tonight into Thursday, especially in central and northern New England where snow and ice will linger longer. Danielle has all the details, including the snow accumulation map and areas of icing in the video.
An active winter storm is impacting the central and eastern U.S. today, bringing snow, ice, and rain to a broad swath of the country. A low-pressure system moving from the Ohio Valley to the Great Lakes will spread a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the Midwest and Northeast, with hazardous travel conditions likely. Interior areas of the Northeast could see significant snowfall and freezing rain accumulation before a transition to rain in many locations.
Meanwhile, a powerful atmospheric river event is unfolding along the California coast, with heavy rain leading to flooding concerns, particularly in burn scar areas. A Moderate Risk (Level 3 of 4) of excessive rainfall has been issued for parts of Southern California, with landslides and debris flows possible in vulnerable areas.
In the South, a severe weather threat is ongoing across the Gulf Coast states, where damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible. Heavy rainfall could also trigger localized flash flooding from Louisiana to the southern Appalachians.
By late week, another Arctic blast will sweep into the central U.S., bringing bitterly cold temperatures 20-30 degrees below normal to the Plains and Upper Midwest. The active pattern continues into the weekend, with a potentially significant winter storm expected to impact the Midwest and Northeast Saturday into Sunday, bringing another round of heavy snow and wintry mix.
A winter storm will affect New England and Upstate New York tonight into Thursday, bringing a messy mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and eventually rain for many areas.
High pressure will provide a seasonably cold but dry day across much of New England. Highs will be in the 20s and 30s, with increasing clouds ahead of the approaching system. A few scattered ocean-effect snow flurries may develop near Cape Cod and the Islands, but no significant accumulation is expected.
A developing low-pressure system will track through the Great Lakes while a secondary low forms off the New England coast. This setup will bring a period of snow before warm air surges in, leading to a changeover to mixed precipitation and rain from south to north.
Interior New England (Upstate NY, VT, NH, western MA, northern ME):
Coastal & Southern New England (Boston, Providence, Hartford, Portland, southern NH & ME coast):
By midday Thursday, precipitation will taper off, with drier but blustery conditions returning by the afternoon. Northwest winds will gust 30-40 mph, making for a chilly and raw end to the day.
Travel Impact:
A brief period of high pressure will bring drier but cold and blustery conditions Friday. Highs will be in the 20s and low 30s, with northwest winds gusting 30-40 mph across much of New England. Lake-effect snow showers could develop in northern New York as colder air moves in.
Confidence is increasing for a major winter storm impacting the Northeast Saturday into Sunday. The exact storm track remains uncertain, but current trends suggest:
If the storm tracks west of New England, more mixing and rain could occur in southern and coastal areas, while a more easterly track would favor a colder solution with heavier snowfall inland.
