Cold Air and Wintry Precipitation is Back for Parts of the Eastern U.S.

Posted: January 12, 2023 4:04 pm

Old Man Winter is back. After a few days of unseasonably warm weather, the cold air has made an encore appearance in the eastern half of the country. The cross-country storm that has been moving across the U.S. in recent days is now merging with a wedge of cold air to create wintry precipitation. Here is what you can expect over the next few days.

Cross-Country Storm Moves into the East With Snow in the Forecast

Just as the airlines begin to recover from Wednesday’s FAA ground stop due to a system failure, the friendly skies may become grouchy again thanks to Mother Nature. The good news for travelers is that the snow is likely to remain in the interior portions of the Northeast, sparing the busy Interstate 95 corridor.

The lack of snow for the I-95 corridor stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C. has been a story of note this winter. The major cities of Washington, D.C. Philadelphia, and New York City have not recorded any measurable snow this winter. Boston has recorded a mere 1.2 inches, far below the average amount of snow of about one foot of accumulation by this time of the year.

As of Thursday, New York City has gone 308 days without any measurable snow. The current snow drought record for the Big Apple is 332 days, dating back to 2020.

Who Will See the Snow?

While these metropolitan areas are likely going to be left out of the snow again with this upcoming system, areas to the west and north are forecast to see the flakes start to fly beginning Thursday. Roads may be a bit slippery in an area stretching from northern Pennsylvania, into upstate New York, and through central and northern New England.

There is also the possibility of lake effect snow in northeastern Ohio, the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, and western New York on Thursday night and into Friday. This snow will fire up as the storm moves to the east and brings a rush of energy from the potent jet stream. Accumulations of up to 6 inches may be in the cards for this region of the Great Lakes.

In addition to the lake effect snow, locally heavy snow showers are expected to pop up in areas south and west of these bands. This could mean a slippery evening commute on Thursday in Chicago and Indianapolis with the snow potentially hanging around through much of Friday. There is also the chance that the snow line moves southward into Kentucky, Tennessee, and western North Carolina.

The lower elevations of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys will likely only see an inch or less of accumulation. However, the higher terrains of the Appalachians may measure up to 6 inches of snow by the time the event is over.

Canada will bear the brunt of the snow with up to 18 inches possible for parts of Ontario and Quebec. Toronto should be ready for a few inches of new snow.

Cold Air to Accompany Wintry Precipitation

The incoming cold air is actually seasonable for this time of January. It just may seem unusually chilly after the warmer than usual readings. For instance, some locations in the central and eastern U.S. may drop up to 25 degrees from Thursday into Friday. The temperatures may drop even further on Saturday.

Those in this region may want to use the warmer weather on Thursday to perform any outdoor chores or activities. Temperatures of this magnitude are not likely to reappear for the next several days.

Looking to the End of January

The good news for those in the Northeast longing for snow is that the long-range forecast is picking up colder air with a greater chance of wintry precipitation by the end of January. This cold air is predicted to stick around into early February, coinciding with with a more active storm track. These two factors would bring a greater chance of accumulating snow to the Interstate 95 corridor and down into the interior portions of the Southeast.

The bottom line is that there is more winter in store for this corner of the country. Do not lose hope if your area has not seen any significant snowfall as of yet.

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