Our early season deep-winter pattern continues to develop, and long-range models predict a probable coastal storm next weekend that could affect the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast if it occurs.
The first piece of the puzzle will deliver light snow today and overnight in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and possibly West Virginia. 1-2 inches of snow are forecast throughout a narrow swath of northeast Kansas, north central Missouri, lower Illinois, lower Indiana, central and eastern Kentucky, and the majority of West Virginia.
This is a weak disturbance centered on a reinforcing blast of cold air that is predicted to send unseasonably chilly temperatures down to the southeast and Gulf coast. On Thursday, another blast of chilly air will set the stage for next weekend’s events.
With Thursday’s system, expect a bout of light snow across New England and the interior Northeast, as well as another round of substantial Lake Effect snow in regions of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Blustery conditions with temperatures in the 20s and 30s will move in behind the system.
At this time, there will be enough cold air to develop a larger system along the Gulf States before moving east. We’ll have to keep an eye out to see if the puzzle pieces come together and transfer energy to the coast of North Carolina.
If this process occurs in the “right” location, we could see internal freezing rain concerns in South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as accumulating snow in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and coastal areas of New Jersey and New York.