Wintry Mix Could Complicate Holiday Travel in the Northeast

Posted: December 25, 2021 2:55 pm

Travelers hitting the roads for the holiday weekend in the Northeast may be in for a messy time. A string of storms will start to affect the region on late Christmas Eve and continue through the weekend, delivering a variety of holiday hazards.

Active Weather Pattern Setting Up

Forecasters are warning that while none of these storms will be particularly significant on their own, the impacts will be exaggerated because of the multiple rounds. The wintry weather mix will include rain, snow, and ice over the next several days, complicating travel both on the road and in the air.

Thursday night saw bits of ice and snow for the northeastern US and into New England. Parts of this corner of the U.S. woke up to a snowy landscape on Christmas Eve with parts of central Pennsylvania through New York state seeing the bulk of the snowfall accumulation.

Motorists were left with a slippery mess on the roads in areas such as New York City and Boston. Interstate 90 in Massachusetts had to impose speed restrictions because of the hazardous travel conditions. This disturbance is forecast to be followed by bands of low pressure that continue to press into the region.

The multiple rounds of wintry weather are being blamed on a jet stream that has dipped to the south across the western half of the nation. This will put the Northeast in the path of the storms that have been building throughout the West in the last few days.

Timing of Storms

The next storm on the agenda will be a quick-hitting system set to arrive late Friday and continue through the Christmas holiday. Forecasters are predicting that those areas that saw light snow on Thursday will be in danger of receiving ice that gradually transitions to rain by later in the day on Christmas.

Southern New England will be most likely to see the freezing rain in the overnight hours, potentially making for a dangerous ride to grandma’s house on Christmas morning. Motorists should check the road conditions before heading out for the holiday.

What About Christmas Day?

Christmas Day will deliver a mixed bag of weather for this region. Rain will stretch from Detroit to New York City, affecting metropolitan areas such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, DC, and Providence. This steady rain could reduce visibility on roads.

As cold air comes in behind this storm, the precipitation may change to snowfall throughout New England beginning late Saturday and lasting until Sunday morning. However, this blast of cold air and wintry precipitation will be followed by a short burst of drier weather for the majority of the region on Sunday. The biggest weather story on Sunday will likely be the presence of strong winds.

Yet Another System to Start the Week

This break in the active weather pattern late Sunday will not last long. Yet another system is forecast to move into the Northeast and New England late Sunday and into Monday. Some portions of the region may see snow and sleet. By the end of the day, the coastal areas will likely just experience rain.

The areas most likely to be dealing with slick roads to start the week are New York state and Pennsylvania. This ice may stretch as far south of the nation’s capital and as far east as the Big Apple.

Another storm is on tap to arrive by late Tuesday, continuing the pattern of active weather.