Interstate 95 Corridor Readies for Far-Reaching Winter Storm

What could end up being the most prolific snow maker of the season for some of the biggest cities on the East Coast is gearing up to unleash across the Interstate 95 corridor beginning Tuesday. Here is a look at what you should expect in the hours ahead for this densely populated region.

Major Storm System Moving From the Central U.S. to the East Coast

Forecasters are warning that widespread travel issues are imminent in a zone impacting over a dozen states stretching from Missouri to Massachusetts beginning on Tuesday. In addition to the forecast of heavy snow, some areas will also be dealing with headaches caused by icy conditions.

The early week winter event is a harbinger of things to come heading into the middle of February. It has already been a busy start to the month as a parade of storms is traveling from coast to coast with little break in between each system.

The next storm will first fire up across the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys as the storm eventually tracks to the mid-Atlantic coastline. Motorists using interstates 77 and 81 in the southern Appalachians and over to the Piedmont will want to be particularly cautious about the threat of ice on the roads. The winter storm will also snarl travel in the skies as airports will need to trigger de-icing operations.

Although the storm is forecast to move along at a speedy clip, the snow will come down fast and furious at times. Snowfall rates could hit 1 to 2 inches per hour during the peak of the activity, posing challenges to road crews trying to keep up with removing the fresh snowfall.

Where to Expect the Most Snow

The heaviest bands of snow will set up in a zone from eastern Kentucky and up into New Jersey and Delaware. This region is anticipating widespread snowfall accumulation of 3 to 6 inches. Cities in the line of fire include Washington, D.C. with a forecast of 1 to 3 inches of new snow during the day Tuesday and an additional 3 to 5 inches tacked on overnight. The mercury will hit a high of about 35 degrees before dipping to the 30-degree mark after the sun goes down on the National Mall.

The incoming snow will push the nation's capital ahead of its average snowfall in the winter season. As of February 10, the district has already seen 8.4 inches of snow at the official measurement station at Reagan National Airport. The historical average for a season is 8.6 inches, meaning that just a bit more is needed to push this winter's totals above the norm.

Other major metro areas along the Interstate 95 corridor will also likely inch closer to the average in any given season. For instance, Philadelphia typically sees 14 inches by this time in the season. It has been fairly dry in the City of Brotherly Love with just 5 inches tabulated thus far this winter. The city is currently forecast to record about 1 to 3 inches out of this system with the majority of the snow falling overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday.

While New York City has seen a bit more snow than Philadelphia this year, it is still well below its seasonal average of 17.8 inches. The Big Apple is forecast to see between 1 and 4 inches out of this system.

The line of snow will extend as far north as Interstate 80 across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Significant amounts of snow is not expected to fly to the north of this interstate.

A narrow zone of 6 to 12 inches of snow is anticipated across some parts of northern Virginia and the eastern edge of West Virginia. For instance, Charleston, West Virginia is under a winter storm warning beginning at 4 am Tuesday and lasting through 11 am Wednesday. The city is expecting total snow accumulations over the course of the storm to land between 4 and 6 inches along with light ice accumulations. There will be little change in the temperatures regardless of sunlight with both highs and lows hovering in the mid 30s. Warmer temperatures hitting the mid 40s on Wednesday will push the moisture back to rain.

This line of heavy snow is predicted to stretch to Maryland's Eastern Shore. After waking up to dry conditions on Tuesday morning, Annapolis is going to see the snow move in by the afternoon hours. This part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is forecast to record 1 to 3 inches of snow during the day with another 3 to 5 inches adding to the total overnight. Highs will reach about 35 degrees before sliding just a few notches lower when it gets dark.

Annapolis will see a brief break in the wintry precipitation early Wednesday before another round of rain and sleet moves in later in the day and into the overnight hours. This system also bears watching in the coming hours.

Ice Impact Zone

The southern flank of this winter storm will see the biggest threat of ice. Residents in an area from southwestern Virginia, southeastern West Virginia, and the northwestern corner of North Carolina will be the most likely to see travel disruptions at the hands of ice.

Roanoke, Virginia could be ground zero for the ice issues. This part of the Commonwealth is forecast to pick up snow during the morning hours Tuesday that begins to mix with sleet during the afternoon. Total snow and ice accumulations will come in at 3 to 5 inches on Tuesday. Similar to the rest of the region, highs and lows will remain constant in the low to mid 30s. Wednesday will bring another risk of freezing rain that could cause mass disruptions if the ice builds up.

There is also the chance that the moisture may fall as freezing rain in this zone. This course would raise the threat of power outages as trees and power lines give out under the weight of the accumulating ice.