Two Storms Ready to Bring Chance of Winter Weather to Eastern Half of US

Posted: December 6, 2021 12:33 pm

Track of Storm Will Determine Who Sees the Precipitation

Forecasters are keeping a close eye on a potentially active weather pattern setting up over the eastern half of the country. The system could bring a messy wintry mix to a large swath of the Northeast along with heavy rainfall to the Eastern Seaboard as the new week gets underway.

Midwest and Southern Canada Under the Gun First

While a brewing storm now out west has the potential of making a mess across the East Coast later this week, a preceding storm will first continue to pound the Great Lakes, southern portions of Canada, and the Midwest. This storm hit the Mississippi Valley and the Ohio Valley on Sunday, bringing the threat of severe weather through Monday.

A cold front that accompanies this storm system will raise the risk of stormy conditions as far as the southern states. These storms will bring the chance of hail, isolated tornadoes, and heavy rain.

This system will march to the northeast throughout the day on Monday, bringing moisture along with it. As a result, those on the Eastern Seaboard should be ready for drenching rain stretching up and down the coast. In addition to the steady rain, there is also the chance of isolated thunderstorms with this weather maker.

Winds to Pick Up

The arrival of the front will also come with strong winds. These winds will be the strongest in the Great Lakes region and into New England. Widespread winds are forecast in the 30 – 50 mph range while stronger gusts of up to 70 mph will be possible for the higher elevations as the front sweeps through.

The winds may be strong enough to bring down trees and power lines, raising the risk of travel delays and power outages. The Great Lakes region may also experience lakeshore flooding as the winds pick up throughout the day.

Tuesday Forecast to be Dryer but Colder

This particular storm will move off the coast by the end of the day Monday, setting up a nicer day on Tuesday as high pressure moves into the area. While conditions will be dry throughout the Northeast, much colder temperatures will be the norm. It will feel as if winter is here to stay as the real feel temperature drops well below freezing for cities as far south as Oklahoma City and Nashville early Tuesday morning.

The major cities on the East Coast will experience a temperature swing of up to 25 degrees from Monday to Tuesday as the cold air mass sweeps through. This cold weather will extend as far west as St. Louis, setting up millions of residents to feel the chill of winter.

The cold air coming down from Canada will continue its southward trajectory late Tuesday and into Wednesday. This will bring overnight lows into the 30s down into the northwestern corner of Texas extending to the Carolinas.

Looking Ahead to the Middle of the Week

The dry weather on Tuesday will not stick around for long. A system that is currently dumping precipitation across the Pacific Northwest is forecast to push to the east and make its way across the nation by the middle of the week. This may bring the chance of winter weather to the northeastern corner of the US.

The chances of wintry precipitation will depend on how cold the mercury dips in the coming days. While the storm will pack plenty of moisture, it is still too early to tell how low the temperature will fall. There is a good chance that the mid-Atlantic and southern New England will see measurable snowfall as early as Wednesday morning.

However, if the system moves farther to the south, the storm may result in just light snow and rain because of the warmer temperatures that it will encounter. Should this happen, the Southeast will bear the brunt of the unseasonably cold temperatures.

Because the track of this system is still in flux, it is a good idea to stay abreast of developing weather conditions over the next few days.

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