Major Snow and Ice Set to Impact Eastern Two-Thirds of U.S.

Mother Nature plans on delivering plenty of snowy, icy weather across much of the U.S. over the next several days. While some snow is expected around the Great Lakes into New England over the next day or two, a more significant snow and ice storm threatens the south-central U.S. into the Eastern Seaboard.

A low-pressure system will drift into southeastern Canada through Friday. This low-pressure system will bring rounds of snow to the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast today into Friday.

Most spots will end up with light accumulations of an inch or two. However, cold air blowing over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, bands of moderate to heavy snow will bring several inches of snow through Friday. 

By the end of Friday, snowfall accumulations will generally range from one-half inch up to 3 inches. The favored Great Lake snow belts will likely record 3 to 8 inches, with even some spots approaching or exceeding a foot of fresh powder!

Lake Effect Snow Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories have been posted downwind of the Great Lakes, including parts of the Upper Peninsula and the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and parts of western and northern New York. 

As if that wasn’t enough, a major winter storm is slowly coming together and will impact the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. by the end of the work week through the upcoming weekend.

An Arctic cold front will drop south across the Rockies and High Plains on Friday, while a low pressure system that has been “cut-off” from the normal weather flow pushes into the Desert Southwest. Bitter cold Arctic air will combine with moisture from the “cut-off” low to produce wintry weather across the Central U.S. Both the cold front and the low pressure system will slowly advance into the Eastern U.S. on Saturday and Sunday.

This will translate into a swath of snow from the Rockies and High Plains into the Lower Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Immediately south of this snow, there will be a wintry mess of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The wintry mess will likely be found across northern Texas, southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana into the Tennessee Valley, southern Appalachians and the Carolinas. South of this wintry mix, expect a cold rain for the rest of the southern Plains, Gulf Coast and southern parts of the Southeast.

Depending on the exact track, there will be both significant snow/sleet and ice accumulation. To prepare for this winter storm, Winter Storm Warnings/Watches and Winter Weather Advisories have been issued across the central and southern Rockies/Plains into the Tennessee Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas. An Ice Storm Warning is also in effect for south-central Tennessee, northern Mississippi and northeastern Louisiana.  

Be sure to download the WeatherBug app to stay up to date on the latest on this changing weather. It’s never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries, and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage. It’s always best to avoid traveling in rough weather as the roads will be dangerous.