Before the worst Arctic outbreak so far this winter sweeps into the northeastern United States, a disruptive snowstorm will eye a large portion of the Northeast into Wednesday.
The same storm system that brought heavy snow and travel disruptions to the Midwest will weaken as it tracks toward the eastern Great Lakes and northern mid-Atlantic by Monday night, but still deliver a punch of snow.
Snow will spread through the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast Monday night and Tuesday. Cold and snow could extend as far south as Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.
As snow spreads across the Northeast on Tuesday, travel disruptions will ensue. Roadways, including interstates 80, 86 and 90, could see slow traffic or accidents due to slippery roadways.
Overall, snow accumulations are expected to be of the lighter variety, bringing just a few inches from West Virginia and Ohio to Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York
However, a second storm system looks to form later Tuesday and strengthen along the New England coast Tuesday night.
The strengthening of this second storm increases the chances for higher snowfall totals across parts of northern New England as heavier snow continues through Wednesday afternoon.
It is in western Massachusetts and much of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine that at least 6 to 12 inches of snow appears most likely. Similar totals are anticipated in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
The AccuWeather Local StormMax;trade in these areas could be as high as 24 inches.
“While the snow will be a boon to the ski industry, travel can become extremely slow and difficult in these areas,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
“Blizzard conditions may even develop in northern New England if the storm strengthens enough,” according to AccuWeather Chief Video Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
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In the Interstate-95 cities from Boston to New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., a brief spike in temperatures is expected to cause precipitation to start as rain before a changeover to snow later Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night.
“AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned for rain to change to a quick coating to an inch of snow around Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia later Tuesday afternoon or evening,” said Pydynowski.
More snow is expected in the northern and western suburbs of these cities.
The timing of the snow means that travel can deteriorate quickly during the busy afternoon and evening commute in these cities.
“Roads can turn from wet to slushy and icy during that time as temperatures plunge to and below freezing,” Pydynowski added.
Motorists traveling through the storm will likely face major delays and may need to allot several extra hours to reach their travel destinations.
Lengthy airport delays may not only be felt immediately in many of the major cities of the I-95 corridor, but also throughout a large portion of the country.
Following the snow, temperatures will plummet Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Residents may only have a short window to clear any slush as the harshest Arctic outbreak this winter freezes everything solid by Wednesday morning.
Widespread areas of ice, and even the cold in the morning, could lead to school delays or even cancellations on Wednesday.
Continued cold through mid-week means any snow is likely to stick around until temperatures rise late this week.
