“There should be plenty of cold air in place for any precipitation from this event to fall in the form of snow or some type of wintry mix,” said the National Weather Service office in NYC. “The main question is just how much precipitation we get with this system and much of that will depend on exactly how close the storm tracks to the coast.”
The powerful storm taking shape in the northwest
That low has a long way to travel before ending up on the East Coast. It’s still getting organized in the west and will leave quite a mark.
Twenty million people from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest are under winter weather alerts.
In the Pacific Northwest, two to four feet of snow is forecast from the Cascades through the central Rockies by Wednesday night.
Not much snow is expected for the lower elevations in the Pacific Northwest, if anything. Most snow amounts will be less than an inch.
A quick but strong Midwest storm
For the Midwest, a separate storm will whip through, with winds being one of the biggest concerns. The strongest winds will kick in overnight into Wednesday morning, with “Sustained winds at 20 to 30 mph and gusts upwards of 40 to 50 look reasonable at this time,” said the NWS office in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The current snow depth is two to four inches in this area, according to the NWS office in La Crosse, and one to three inches of additional snow will likely fall with this next system.
“Have some (serious) concerns that white-out conditions could develop in the wind prone areas of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa overnight-through the morning rush,” said the NWS office in La Crosse. “A 3-5 hour window of 1/4 mile blizzard conditions can’t be ruled out.”
Fresh snowfall amounts for the Upper Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes will be anywhere between four to eight inches.
Parts of the Upper Great Lakes could see closer to a foot of additional snow by Thursday morning.
The mid-South and mid-Atlantic face round two of snow
Thursday, as a cold front dives south and east out of the Rockies, the Appalachian states will once again be impacted by winter weather.
“Yep, looks like old man winter will be taking another swing at the mid state on Thursday,” said the NWS office in Nashville. “This will provide the textbook clash of moisture and cold to provide snowfall to the middle TN area.”
Areas around Nashville could pick up about an inch of snow, with areas to the north seeing as much as three inches.
As the storm travels east, the mid-Atlantic will once again be in the mix.
Including places along I-95 that have been impassible with the early-week system.
Areas in Virginia that saw dramatic snowfall totals will see plenty of sunshine today and tomorrow, with temperatures getting above freezing.
However, it shouldn’t be enough warmth to melt all the snow, and what does melt could refreeze, keeping roads icy and dangerous just ahead of the next system.
With another storm system on the way, an additional two to four inches will be possible Thursday night into Friday morning for the mid-Atlantic and portions of the Northeast and even southern New England.
Taking aim at the Northeast and New England
“Right now the best chance of precipitation looks to occur during the second half of Thursday night into the Friday morning time frame,” said the NWS office in NYC. “Setting up what could be an impactful Friday morning commute.”
The snowfall amounts will largely depend on how closely the area of low pressure tracks along the coast.
If it tracks closer, then the precipitation amounts will be higher.
Confidence is quite low for exactly where the snow will set up, but the forecast will be much more certain within the next 48-hours.
Even areas around Boston could pick up several inches of snow, while some models are placing three to five inches of snow along the I-95 corridor in New England.
But to see if that actually plays out, we will have to stay tuned.
Temperatures 25-40 degrees below normal
Temperatures will dive behind this blast of arctic air across the Northern Plains.
Many areas won’t see temperatures above the single digits before the end of the week.
The coldest temperatures are expected Friday morning for the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains.
“Possibly the coldest temperatures of the season so far, with lows dropping down into the -20s for much of south-central and southeast Montana,” said the NWS office in Billings.
Chicago will stay in the teens and single digits for Thursday and Friday, then quickly warm back up above freezing by Saturday afternoon.
As the cold air travels south, Nashville will see its temperatures plummet below freezing on Thursday, with highs only in the upper 20s on Friday.
Washington, DC, could even stay below freezing on Thursday and Friday before warming back up on Saturday.
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Nic Coury
Elizabeth Holmes leaves federal court after the verdict in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Holmes was convicted of fraud for turning her blood-testing startup Theranos into a sophisticated sham that duped billionaires and other unwitting investors into backing a seemingly revolutionary company whose medical technology never worked as promised. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Nic Coury
Elizabeth Holmes leaves federal court after the verdict in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Holmes was convicted of fraud for turning her blood-testing startup Theranos into a sophisticated sham that duped billionaires and other unwitting investors into backing a seemingly revolutionary company whose medical technology never worked as promised. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Rich Pedroncelli
Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low, left, and Republican Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen greet each other on the first day of the 2022 Legislative session in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol to begin an eight-month election year session and immediately began unveiling new legislation they intend to seek in the new year. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Rich Pedroncelli
Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low, left, and Republican Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen greet each other on the first day of the 2022 Legislative session in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol to begin an eight-month election year session and immediately began unveiling new legislation they intend to seek in the new year. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Dave Thompson
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Joao Moutinho scores his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Monday, Jan.3, 2022. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Dave Thompson
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Joao Moutinho scores his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Monday, Jan.3, 2022. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Markus Schreiber
A doctor injects vaccination against the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease to a man as other people line up for their vaccination inside the Sage Beach Bar and Restaurant in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. The Clubcommission Berlin, an association that protects and supports the Berlin club culture, start a vaccination campaign which take place in several clubs bars and restaurants in the German capital. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Markus Schreiber
A doctor injects vaccination against the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease to a man as other people line up for their vaccination inside the Sage Beach Bar and Restaurant in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. The Clubcommission Berlin, an association that protects and supports the Berlin club culture, start a vaccination campaign which take place in several clubs bars and restaurants in the German capital. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Dave Thompson
Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rects after his team received a goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Monday, Jan.3, 2022. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Dave Thompson
Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rects after his team received a goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Monday, Jan.3, 2022. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Susan Walsh
James Penn of Annapolis, Md., cross country skis in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. A winter storm packing heavy snow rolled into the District of Columbia, northern Virginia and central Maryland overnight, bringing at least 3 to 7 inches of snow to the area through Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Susan Walsh
James Penn of Annapolis, Md., cross country skis in Annapolis, Md., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. A winter storm packing heavy snow rolled into the District of Columbia, northern Virginia and central Maryland overnight, bringing at least 3 to 7 inches of snow to the area through Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Alex Brandon
People walk down steps of the Lincoln Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the background as snow falls, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
People walk down steps of the Lincoln Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the background as snow falls, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Nardus Engelbrecht
Smoke rises from the Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, Jan 3, 2022 after the fire re-ignited late afternoon. Firefighters are again on the scene after a major blaze tore through the precinct a day earlier. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
Nardus Engelbrecht
Smoke rises from the Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, Jan 3, 2022 after the fire re-ignited late afternoon. Firefighters are again on the scene after a major blaze tore through the precinct a day earlier. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Rafiq Maqbool
An Indian school girl reacts as she receives vaccination for COVID-19 at a vaccination center in Mumbai, India, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. India has begun vaccinating teens in the age group of 15 to 18, as more states are enforcing tighter restrictions to arrest a surge of infections stoked by the omicron variant. On Monday, state governments across the country administered doses at schools, hospitals and through special vaccination sites amid a rapid rise in coronavirus infections, particularly in the country's densely populated cities. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Rafiq Maqbool
An Indian school girl reacts as she receives vaccination for COVID-19 at a vaccination center in Mumbai, India, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. India has begun vaccinating teens in the age group of 15 to 18, as more states are enforcing tighter restrictions to arrest a surge of infections stoked by the omicron variant. On Monday, state governments across the country administered doses at schools, hospitals and through special vaccination sites amid a rapid rise in coronavirus infections, particularly in the country's densely populated cities. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Another round of snow from Nashville to New York, below-average temps in the Plains, and more
Mukhtar Khan
A Kashmiri teen holds on to the hand of her relative as she prepares to receive COVID-19 vaccine inside a school in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. India has begun vaccinating teens in the age group of 15 to 18, as more states are enforcing tighter restrictions to arrest a surge of infections stoked by the omicron variant. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Mukhtar Khan
A Kashmiri teen holds on to the hand of her relative as she prepares to receive COVID-19 vaccine inside a school in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. India has begun vaccinating teens in the age group of 15 to 18, as more states are enforcing tighter restrictions to arrest a surge of infections stoked by the omicron variant. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
