Early-week storm to threaten more snow for Midwest, Northeast

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. (UPI) — Following an expansive swath of snow stretching from the central Plains to the Great Lakes and Eastern Seaboard this weekend, another round of snow is forecast to target some of the same areas early this week.

Behind the weekend snow will be an Arctic blast of cold, thanks to the polar vortex. This will be a big contrast from the “feeling” so far this winter, which has been, on average, milder than usual. Many cities have averaged about 5 degrees above normal since Dec. 1, such as Omaha, Neb., and Chicago.

Brutal cold opens up for more snow

The brutal cold that has remained across the region will also leave open the opportunity for more snow over the upcoming week with the next storm.

“Without a break from the below-freezing temperatures, snow will not have the opportunity to melt,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

“Snow is likely to break out across eastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas late Sunday night, before spreading eastward to Indiana and southwestern Michigan by the end of the day on Monday,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyson Hoegg.

After this, the storm is expected to sweep through the Northeast into Tuesday morning, spreading a swath of snow by daybreak.

Total precipitation will vary

Most locations from eastern Nebraska to Maine are forecast to receive snowfall totaling just a few inches. But unlike the storm from this weekend, several inches of snow could be possible across interior portions of the Northeast with less snow along the I-95 corridor.

But even a couple of inches can cause slippery conditions on untreated roads and sidewalks. People will need to be cautious when going out and about.

“At this point, the storm appears to be a quick-mover, which overall is likely to limit how much fresh snow can accumulate,” said Hoegg.

Storm could strengthen heading into the Northeastern states

However, it is not out of the question that the storm could strengthen as it moves into the Northeast, which would allow for higher snowfall totals, especially in the mountainous regions of western Massachusetts and Upstate New York.

A reinforced push of cold air will follow behind this storm, which will create another burst of snow downwind of the Great Lakes. Some locations in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York could see some lingering lake-effect snow adding to the 6-24 inches of snowfall these areas have already received from the first storm.

While snow is winding down across parts of New England on Tuesday night, yet another storm could be taking shape in the center of the country before Wednesday.

As Arctic air and the jet stream continues to sink southward throughout the week, wintry weather could sweep as far south as Texas and Mississippi.

Reporting by AccuWeather’s Courtney Travis

United Press International

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