Heavy Snow And Icy Spots Impact The East

A potent low pressure system will collide with a cold air mass across the East to bring snow and icy conditions today into Saturday.

This area of low pressure will quickly race eastward across the Lower Great Lakes today and will eventually move off the Mid-Atlantic coast later tonight. Near and north of this low pressure system, a wintry mix of snow and ice is expected across the Great Lakes this morning and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast later this afternoon into Saturday.  

Winter Weather Advisories are in place across northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, much of Michigan, far northeastern Indiana, northern Ohio, northern West Virginia, northern Virginia, much of Maryland, much of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, New York, western Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut, and Rhode Island. 

Winter Storm Warnings are also in place across northern New Jersey, northeastern Pennsylvania, southeastern New York, and western Connecticut. This includes the entire New York City area. 

Ice Storm Warnings have also been issued for the parts of western Maryland through the Laurel Highlands and Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, and northwestern Pennsylvania. 

Cities such as Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City are at threat for the wintry weather today into Saturday. 

Across western and central Pennsylvania, a significant icing event will be possible as ice accretion of a quarter to a half inch will be possible. Farther to the south and east, upwards of a tenth of an inch of ice will be possible across southeastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and northern Virginia. This sleet and ice can make travel quite dangerous, especially across Interstates 70, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 86, 90, and 99.

Enough cold air will be in place across southern New York into northern New Jersey and southern New England for a mostly all snow event. Here, snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches will be common, but locally higher amounts of 10 to 12 inches will be possible, especially over the Catskills. 

Snow will linger throughout much of Saturday morning across southern New England to near New York City. Farther south, the wintry mix will end around daybreak in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, while any wintry mix in Maryland and northern Virginia will change to plain rain by tonight and will end overnight.

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.