A winter storm will bring a mix of ice and snow to a wide swath of the East Coast over the weekend, meteorologists say, potentially disrupting travel and causing power outages.
The National Weather Service said the storm could bring 8 to 12 inches or more of snow to some areas of the Northeast on Saturday and Sunday. This could be the first significant snowfall in major eastern cities in about two years.
More than 20 million Americans were under winter storm watches or warnings Friday morning, including those in a host of Northeastern states and areas surrounding the nation's capital, according to the weather service.
“A combination of heavy, wet snow and gusty winds in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts could lead to power outages and tree damage,” the weather service said.
Gusty onshore winds could lead to flooding along the coasts in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England, and freezing rain and sleet could make travel dangerous in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, the weather service said.
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New York City weekend weather and snow forecast
According to the National Weather Service office in New York City, the storm will bring “the first significant snowfall to inland locations, especially in northern and western New York City.”
The New York City/New Jersey metro area, along with Long Island, is expected to see an inch or less of snow, which will develop Saturday night and turn to rain by midnight.
Parts of the Lower Hudson Valley, northeastern New Jersey and Connecticut along or just north of I-95 could see 3 to 6 inches of snow, while inland portions of the Lower Hudson Valley and southern Connecticut could see 6 to 14 inches of snow. . snow.
Weather forecast for the weekend in Philadelphia
Philadelphia will likely see rain this weekend, “although the precipitation may start or end as wet snow near I-95 with little or no accumulation,” according to the National Weather Service office in Philadelphia and Mount Holly.
The southern Poconos and far northern New Jersey could see 6 to 12 inches of snow starting Saturday afternoon, peaking during the evening and then tapering off through Sunday morning.
Baltimore, weather forecast for the weekend
The National Weather Service forecast heavy rain to fall in the area starting Saturday morning, mostly in the form of snow, with occasional snowfall.
“For areas along and east of I-95, no snow is expected to stick beyond the layer of grass and elevated surfaces,” the weather service said.
Any quick precipitation is expected to turn into cold rain by midday.
Weather forecast for the weekend in Boston
“Of all the major cities along I-95, Boston is positioned to pick up 4-8 inches of snow from the storm with heavier amounts to the west of the city, where any mixing of sleet and rain is unlikely,” an AccuWeather expert said. Meteorologist Alyssa Glennie.
The National Weather Service office in Boston said heavy snow accumulations of 8 to 12 inches are possible in areas north and west of I-95 Saturday night into Sunday.
For areas east of I-95, snow totals were less certain and will depend on where the rain and snow line is located, according to the weather service.
Another storm to bring winter weather across the country
This weekend won't be the end of it. While snow is falling on the Northeast this weekend, a second winter storm is expected to reach the West Coast and make its way east next week, bringing snow, strong winds and blizzards to parts of the country.
The National Weather Service said the second storm will intensify as it moves east.
Heavy snow is expected to fall in the western highlands this weekend. It will then impact the Southern High Plains, Central Plains, and Midwest on Monday and Tuesday. By Tuesday and Wednesday, it will bring more snow to the interior Northeast, the weather service said. Gusty winds of more than 50 mph are also expected in the Appalachian Mountains and East Coast, where coastal flooding may also occur.
Eastern cities experienced a long snow drought
The last time New York City got an inch of snow from a single storm was on February 13, 2022, or 691 days ago. In Washington, D.C., the most recent storm to bring an inch of snow was 719 days ago on Jan. 16, 2022, according to AccuWeather.
For Baltimore, it has been 707 days since an inch of snow has fallen, and in Philadelphia, it has been 706 days.
It's not just major cities that have suffered from a lack of snow: “As snow continues to dry along I-95 in the mid-Atlantic, snow has also been very weak across the central Appalachians, the Great Lakes region and coastal New England,” said Alex Sosnowski, senior expert. Meteorologists at AccuWeather.
