At Least Three Major Storms in the Forecast This Week Across the U.S.

The latest update about the impending winter storms for the central and eastern U.S. is in, spelling a week of disruptive conditions for millions of Americans. Here is what you need to know heading into the new work week.

Details of Early Week Storm

The eastern half of the U.S. is going to be in the crosshairs of another week of stormy weather as at least two more waves of rain, snow, and ice are on deck for this week. The busy pattern will impact a large part of the Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast. While it may seem like a lot at one time, forecasters are quick to remind those in the path that this is a classic weather setup for the month of February.

The first system will fire up on Monday, originating in the Southern Plains before pushing to the north and the east. The storm will move at a fast clip, arriving to the mid-Atlantic coastline by Tuesday. On its way, it will also send moisture to parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley. The latest forecast models predict that the early week system will creep as far north as southern New England.

There are a number of major metropolitan areas that will be in the primary impact zone of the first weather maker. These include Kansas City, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.

What the models are not as clear about at this point is how far north the snow will fall. Depending on the temperatures at the time that the moisture machine fires up, the zone from northern Oklahoma and up into Kansas and Missouri may see up to 3 inches of snow. Conversely, there is also the chance that this area may just escape with straight rain or that no moisture falls at all.

Heavier bands of snow are forecast to set up in an area from the Ohio Valley and to the mid-Atlantic. Portions of Virginia and West Virginia could see up to 6 inches of fresh accumulation. Meanwhile, the zone from the Ozarks and Kentucky over to the Piedmont of Virginia could see spotty areas of ice.

For instance, this is setting up to be a major snow producer for Louisville, Kentucky. The city is forecast to pick up 3 to 5 inches of snow on Tuesday. Another inch of accumulation is possible overnight. There will be little change in the temperatures throughout the day and night with the mercury holding steady in the low to mid 30s. It will be a bit breezy with winds out of the east-northeast at 10 to 15 mph.

Details of Mid-Week Storm

Just as soon as the first storm dissipates, another system will come in right behind it. The second storm of the week will begin to roar late Tuesday along the Colorado Front Range before pushing into the central Plains during the day Wednesday. The impacts will hit the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic by later Wednesday and into the overnight hours. By Thursday, this storm will be churning across the eastern Great Lakes and the Northeast.

The early models indicate that the mid-week storm will travel on a more northerly track when compared to the early week system. This will put metro areas such as Denver, Des Moines, Chicago, Detroit, and Boston in the primary impact zone. For example, Denver is anticipating about 1 to 3 inches of accumulating snowfall from this system with the bulk of the flakes flying from Tuesday afternoon and through the overnight hours.

It is still too early to determine with accuracy how much snow this system will dump as it tracks to the east. As a whole, you can expect heavy snow bands to form over the Northeast. Moderate to locally heavy snow is likely for the central Plains and up into the southern Great Lakes.

Ice will be the primary concern along the southern flank of this mid-week event. The icy conditions could dip as far south as Oklahoma and as far east as the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians.

Rain and Thunderstorms the Story for the South

While the major headlines associated with this mid-week system will be the wintry impacts to the north, the southern and warmer side of the storm will bring the threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Flash flooding will be a concern in areas that get hit with repeated rounds of rain. The hilly terrains will also be at a higher risk for flash flooding.

Heading into next weekend, the central and eastern U.S. could once again see a different system push in from the west. This event will get started as a powerful atmospheric river across California this week. The energy and moisture left from this surge of moisture will head into the Mountain West region by late in the week and then potentially surge across the Plains and the Upper Midwest by the time that the weekend rolls around.

This event could also set the stage for more heavy rain across the southern third of the country. Severe thunderstorms may also be back on the table just as the region recovers from the last onslaught. A more northerly track would result in rain for the part of the country that sees snow earlier in the week.

Stay tuned as the direction and intensity of this system becomes more clear in the days ahead.

Although four different winter storms over the course of one week may seem like an abnormality, it is important to keep in mind that this is the meat of the storm season. The storm track is more active in January and February thanks to the stagnant cold air dipping down from Canada that pairs with energy circulating through the jet stream.

This same pattern happened in January when four storms moved through the nation in a short period. Most people will recall this was the time that brought the monster snowfall event to the Gulf Coast.

Only time will tell how February will shake out with storm activity. It seems as if Mother Nature is just getting started.

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