Travel advisories have been issued for 15 states as several winter storms are poised to unleash ice and snow from the central US to the East Coast.
A mix of snow and wintry precipitation is advancing towards the coastal Northeast, reaching into the interior Southeast, and possibly extending as far west as the Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley, and the Appalachians starting Sunday into Monday, which could lead to hazardous road conditions and travel disruptions.
Highlighted states along the trajectory include western North Carolina and Virginia, eastern Kentucky and Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
However, before this storm unfolds, two additional systems will impact eastern states, with the first moving snow from the Midwest to the central Appalachians beginning Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday night.
The second system is expected to bring rain, snow, and a wintry mix from the northwest Gulf Coast up to the Great Lakes starting Friday.
Hazardous road conditions will start to materialize as this storm coincides with low ground temperatures, leading to sporadic ice formation in parts of the Appalachians and Piedmont regions from Friday to Saturday.
As colder air sweeps into the East following the initial storm, a freeze could occur in parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valley to the Central Appalachians, and even along the Northeast coast Saturday night.
Numerous winter storms are developing from the central US to the East Coast, prompting meteorologists to issue travel advisories across 12 states
‘Currently, it appears that snow will have cleared from Washington, DC prior to the Presidential inauguration on Monday; however, slippery conditions might affect travelers heading to the capital from Sunday to early Monday morning,’ cautioned AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty advised.
Flight schedules for impacted areas may experience delays throughout the weekend and into the beginning of next week.
These successive storms represent a continuation of a harsh winter weather pattern that has been affecting the eastern US since the beginning of the year, encompassing Arctic blasts delivering record-low temperatures alongside two named storms: Blair and Cora.
The first winter storm of the week is expected to have minimal effects, bringing only one to three inches of snow as it swiftly travels across the Midwest and central Appalachians from Wednesday evening to Thursday night.
Locally higher totals of up to six inches may accumulate around the Great Lakes and in the higher elevations of West Virginia extending into southwestern Pennsylvania.
Intermittent snow could lead to a light accumulation east of the Appalachians extending to parts of Interstate 95 in the mid-Atlantic and New England from Thursday afternoon to Thursday night.
Following a brief pause in the wintry conditions, the second storm will begin to form on Friday.
Rain is forecasted as far north as the Ohio Valley and along the mid-Atlantic coast to southeastern New England on Saturday, with frigid temperatures leading to patches of ice forming in the Appalachians and Piedmont regions.
The third winter storm will create more extensive travel issues as it spreads snow and a wintry mix across 12 states Sunday through Monday
The initial storm of the week will bring one to three inches of snow as it moves rapidly across the Midwest and central Appalachians from Wednesday evening to Thursday night
The second storm could bring a wintry mix to the region along Interstate 70 in the Midwest, and sporadic snow could extend further north to the Great Lakes from Friday night to Saturday, and from the central Appalachians to northern New England Saturday to Saturday night
Regions along Interstate 70 in the Midwest may experience a wintry mix.
Sporadic snow may stretch farther north to the Great Lakes from Friday night to Saturday, and then from the central Appalachians to northern New England Saturday into Saturday night.
The Southeast will experience rainfall from Friday night through Saturday evening, potentially leading to several severe thunderstorms as well.
All this moisture could result in slippery roads in parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, central Appalachians, and coastal Northeast as cold air enters these areas Saturday night.
By Sunday, the third storm will make landfall, equipped with sufficient cold air to produce snow and a wintry mix fromthe coastal Northeast to the inland Southeast through Monday.
There are two scenarios for this storm. If it intensifies, snowfall could extend as far west as the Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley, and the Appalachians. If it stays weaker, the storm’s effects will be more intermittent and confined.
The Southeast will experience heavy rainfall from Friday night to Saturday evening, with the possibility of a few intense thunderstorms as well
Next week, feels-like temperatures 10 to 20 F under average will persist across the US for the third week in a row
A significant amount of snow and ice that could lead to treacherous roads and travel disruptions is anticipated to build up from the Piedmont regions of the Southeast to coastal spots in the mid-Atlantic Sunday into Sunday night.
New England might experience perilous travel conditions from Sunday night through Monday.
Next week, feels-like temperatures 10 to 20 F below average will persist across the US for the third week consecutively.
Consequently, any snowfall and ice that builds up this week will remain, especially from the Midwest to the coastal Northeast and higher terrains of the interior Southeast.
In Washington DC, for instance, high temperatures are predicted to remain in the 20s F on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Chicago, expected highs are in the upper single digits to the low teens.