More Strong Winter Storms Expected Through Next Week for Eastern U.S.

It has been another week of volatile weather for much of the U.S. However, forecasters are now cautioning that the last storm in the parade of winter weather events could be the most powerful one of all. Read on for what the latest forecast models are saying about this potentially disruptive storm gearing up to strike over the weekend.

More Powerful Winter Storms on the Way

The good news is that the caboose of the February storm train is right around the corner. The bad news is that it could be the worst of the series. The Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and northern New England are currently in the throes of a major storm with several inches of snow in store for some areas. For instance, the snow was coming down hard in places such as Kansas City and Des Moines on Wednesday.

Residents will barely get a chance to dig out before the next system arrives in the same general area over the weekend. The current thinking is that this storm will move farther to the south and the east than the midweek storm, possibly even crossing over the Appalachins still intact. This track would put the heaviest snow a bit farther to the south when compared to what Wednesday and Thursday brought.

The weekend storm is not going to have as much frigid air to fuel the development of wintry precipitation. This will translate to a more widespread area of rain for the Ohio Valley and to the south. However, a surge of Arctic air at the back end of the storm could force some of the rain to transition to snow in metro areas such as Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh.

Looking at the major metropolitan areas up and down the Interstate 95 corridor, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia will likely escape with just rain out of this weekend storm. However, colder temperatures to the north will mean that New York City and Boston are more likely to see a mix of snow and ice at times.

Diving into this area specifically, the flakes are forecast to begin to fly on Saturday afternoon in Boston. The metro area will see the heaviest bands of snow set up overnight with 3 to 5 inches on tap. It will be a cold start to the weekend with a high of 30 degrees and a low of 27 degrees on Saturday.

However, warmer air coming in at the back half of the storm will push this snow back to rain. Boston is in store for a soggy Sunday with an inch of rain in the forecast as the mercury climbs to about the 40-degree mark. Temperatures falling into the low 20s overnight Sunday and into Monday will push the rain back to snow. Winds will also increase at the end of the weekend, hitting speeds of 10 to 15 mph on Sunday in Boston. Winds could gust to over 40 mph during the overnight hours.

Details of Next Week's Storm

Looking ahead to next week, there appears to be relief in sight for those tired of the active weather pattern. One last system is predicted to ignite during the middle of the week, with meteorologists warning that it could be the strongest of the series. It is not unusual for the last storm in the train of events to be the most impactful as it is ushering in a calmer time.

It is still possible that the storm expected for next week could shift its track depending on how the jet stream sets up. A system that moves farther to the north than the east would send warmer air in this direction, resulting in moisture falling as rain from the Ohio Valley and over to the Atlantic coastline.

Conversely, a storm track farther to the east could spell heavy snow from the Ohio Valley and across the central Appalachians. Some of this snow could reach the Atlantic coastline from the upper mid-Atlantic and up into New England.

A system that reaches its full potential could result in significant travel disruptions for a widespread region. Potential severe impacts include heavy snow and flooding rainfall. The timing of the storm means that some of the heaviest rain bands could set up during high tide across the coast in the Northeast, triggering a higher threat of major flooding.

Localized urban flooding will also be a concern in the interior Southeast. This corner of the U.S. has experienced multiple waves of heavy rain over the last few weeks. The overly saturated ground will not be able to take on a lot of moisture before the flooding issues ensue. The Southeast will also be under the gun for the risk of severe thunderstorms next week.

When Will the Busy Storm Track Die Down?

A drier weather pattern will set up after next week's storm for most of the eastern half of the nation. The exception will be the continual threat of lake-effect snow for parts of the Great Lakes.

The most significant chance of lake-effect snow will be downwind of Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. Greater amounts of ice coverage in Lake Erie will limit the odds of lake-effect snow in western portions of New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and northeastern Ohio.

February temperatures will still be the norm for the eastern U.S. However, the presence of plentiful sunshine will work to bring the real feel readings up to more tolerable levels during the afternoon hours.

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