Travel warnings have been issued for 15 states as multiple winter storms are set to unleash ice and snow from the central US to the East Coast.
Snow and a wintry mix will move Sunday through Monday from the coastal Northeast to the inland Southeast, and possibly as far west as the Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley and Appalachian Mountains, which could lead to slick roads and travel delays.
States along the path include western North Carolina and Virginia, eastern Kentucky and Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
But ahead of this storm, two others will hit the eastern states, with the first snow spreading from the Midwest into the central Appalachians Wednesday evening through Thursday evening.
The second storm will spread rain, snow and a wintry mix from the northwest Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes starting Friday.
Slippery roads will begin to take shape as this storm coincides with cold ground temperatures, causing patchy ice to develop in parts of the Appalachians and Piedmont Friday through Saturday.
As colder air on the backside of the first storm moves east, freezing conditions could occur Saturday evening across parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys into the central Appalachians and even the Northeast Coast.
Multiple winter storms are underway from the central US to the East Coast, prompting meteorologists to issue travel warnings in twelve states
“At this point, the snow will likely move out of Washington DC in time for the presidential inauguration on Monday, but there could be slippery conditions Sunday through Monday morning for those traveling to the nation’s capital,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty . warned.
Flights to and from the affected areas may be postponed this weekend and early next week.
These back-to-back storms are a continuation of a severe winter weather pattern that has battered the eastern US since the start of the year, including blasts in the Arctic causing record low temperatures and two named storms: Blair and Cora.
The first of this week’s winter storms will have the weakest impact, bringing only 1 to 3 inches of snow as it moves quickly across the Midwest and central Appalachians Wednesday evening through Thursday evening.
Locally, higher amounts up to six inches may accumulate around the Great Lakes and higher elevations from West Virginia into southwestern Pennsylvania.
Intermittent snowfall may fall on a light blanket Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening east of the Appalachians to parts of Interstate 95 in the mid-Atlantic and New England.
After a brief break in wintry weather, the second storm will take shape on Friday.
Rain will fall as far north as the Ohio Valley and along the Mid-Atlantic Coast into southeastern New England on Saturday, with cold temperatures allowing ice patches to form in the Appalachians and Piedmont.
The third winter storm will cause more travel problems as snow and a wintry mix spread across 12 states Sunday through Monday
The first of this week’s winter storms will bring 2 to 3 inches of snow as it moves quickly across the Midwest and central Appalachians Wednesday evening through Thursday evening
The second storm could bring a wintry mix to the area along Interstate 70 in the Midwest, and intermittent snow could extend further north into the Great Lakes Friday evening through Saturday, and into the central Appalachians Saturday through Saturday evening to northern New England.
The area along Interstate 70 in the Midwest could see a wintry mix.
Intermittent snow may extend further north into the Great Lakes Friday evening through Saturday, and from the central Appalachians into northern New England Saturday through Saturday night.
The southeast will be drenched with rain from Friday night to Saturday evening, with a chance of some heavy thunderstorms.
All that moisture could lead to slick roads in parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, the central Appalachians and the coastal northeast as cold air moves into those regions Saturday night.
The third storm will arrive by Sunday, with enough cold air already to create snow and a wintry mix from the coastal Northeast to the inland Southeast through Monday.
There are two possibilities for this storm. If snow intensifies, snow could extend into the Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley and the Appalachians. If it remains weaker, the storm’s impact will be spottier and less widespread.
The southeast will be drenched with rain from Friday night to Saturday evening, with a chance of some heavy thunderstorms
Next week, the US will see pleasant temperatures of 10 to 20 F below average for the third week in a row
Enough snow and ice is expected to build up to cause slick roads and travel delays from the Piedmont areas in the Southeast to coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic Sunday through Sunday night.
New England could experience hazardous travel conditions Sunday night into Monday.
Next week, the US will see pleasant temperatures of 10 to 20 F below average for the third week in a row.
That means any snow and ice that accumulates this week will be here to stay, especially from the Midwest to the coastal Northeast and the higher parts of the inland Southeast.
In Washington DC, for example, highs are expected to be in the 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday. And in Chicago, highs are expected to be in the upper single digits to low teens.