Eastern US braces for snow this weekend: Latest winter weather forecast updates
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to hit the Gulf Coast before bringing the year's first snowstorm to the East Coast by the weekend.
According to AccuWeather, a "major winter storm packing travel-snarling snow and dangerous ice" is on track to hit portions of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend.
For the big cities of the region, the storm will bring a mixed bag of precipitation. In Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, mainly rain is expected. However, a mix of rain and snow is likely in New York City and Boston, where some accumulation is possible, the weather service said.
The weather service in New York City posted on X on Wednesday that the city has a low probability of snow and sleet Saturday into Sunday, with significant snowfall expected in areas west and north of the city.
Another storm will affect the Midwest and East Coast next week, forecasters warned. That storm, which is expected to hit on Tuesday, will likely bring snow to the Midwest (including St. Louis and Chicago) but mainly rain to the East Coast.
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The mid-Atlantic and Northeast storm is forecast to strengthen as it advances from the Gulf Coast to the mid-Atlantic coast Saturday into Sunday. AccuWeather cautions that heavier bands of snow are likely to develop from West Virginia and northwestern Virginia to the Hudson Valley during this time.
"From Saturday to Sunday, a swatch of 3 to 6 inches of snow is projected to fall from the Smoky Mountains through much of northern and eastern West Virginia on northeastward to interior southern New England," according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny.
Higher snowfall totals between 6 to 12 inches are expected in eastern West Virginia, central Pennsylvania and western and central Massachusetts.
“Any accumulating snow can result in significant travel slowdowns, but this storm may have greater impact than others of similar magnitude because it has been such a long time since more than 1 inch of snow has accumulated in these areas – it can take people a bit of time to once again get used to driving in and otherwise dealing with the snow," explained AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter.
What's the snow forecast in other areas of the country?
According to the National Weather Service, snowfall totals between 2-4 inches are expected for portions of New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma Thursday. Parts of New Mexico and Colorado, near the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, could see snow accumulations of around 5-10 inches, per the NWS.
The weather service said showers and thunderstorms are expected to begin in Texas and southern Oklahoma late Thursday afternoon into Thursday night before traveling east toward the Gulf Coast, where moderate to heavy rainfall is expected overnight Thursday and into Friday.
The rain could be a welcome sight of those looking for drought relief, particularly in Mississippi and Louisiana. Both states are currently seeing levels of extreme to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Coastal rain, high-elevation mountain snow and a wintry mix in interior valley locations are also expected in the Pacific Northwest throughout the day Thursday.
US weather watches and warnings
National weather radar
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snow, winter storm forecast in East this weekend: Weather news, radar
