Storm System Bringing Rain and Snow for the Last Day of 2024

The calendar is going to flip from 2024 to 2025 with much of the same as a new storm system is gearing up to send rain and snow across parts of the Midwest and over into the Northeast. Here is a look at what you can expect over the holiday.

New Year's Storm Could Spoil Outdoor Plans

A weather maker sweeping across the northern Plains and into the Midwest and the Northeast over the first half of the week will send accumulating snow to some areas while other communities escape with just rain. The storm will impact travel beginning late Monday before it finally exits by Wednesday. Revelers heading to Times Square in New York City for the New Year's Eve festivities are also expected to see the impacts of this far-reaching storm system.

You can expect the flakes to begin to fly on Monday across the north-central U.S. The snow line will stretch from Montana and into Iowa through Monday night. The system is not currently packing a great deal of moisture, meaning that snowfall accumulations will be limited to about 1 to 3 inches. The greatest amount of snow is expected to fall in Nebraska where a pocket of 3 to 6 inches is on tap.

Areas such as Rapid City, South Dakota will get away with about an inch of accumulation. Breezy conditions will be the biggest weather hindrance with winds reaching speeds of 15 to 25 mph and the potential of gusts that eclipse the 40-degree mark. Highs will top out in the upper 30s on Monday before falling just below the 20-degree barrier after the sun goes down. While it will be colder for the rest of the week, conditions are forecast to remain dry in this part of the northern Plains.

It was a fairly mild weekend for much of the central U.S. thanks to warmer air that had moved in from the Pacific. This mild air is still in place across most of the Midwest and the interior Northwest. This will translate to mostly rain on the front side of the storm.

Places such as St. Louis are forecast to see continuing rain showers through the night Monday and into Tuesday morning. The winds will also pick up in intensity overnight Monday, hitting speeds of 15 to 25 mph. Do not be surprised to hear a rumble of thunder at this time. An overnight low in the low 40s and a Tuesday high of about 45 degrees on Tuesday will ensure that the moisture keeps falling as rain in the Arch City.

It will be a similar situation across Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. This metro area is forecast to wake up to rain showers on Tuesday, amounting to about a quarter of an inch. Highs will top out in the upper 40s before falling into the upper 20s overnight. The moisture is likely to have left the region prior to the temperatures falling below the freezing level. Like the rest of the region, it will be a breezy period with winds of about 10 to 20 mph and higher gusts possible.

Colder air pushing in on the back side of the storm will support the development of a rain and snow mix or straight snow along some parts of the Interstate 70 corridor by Tuesday. Cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit are expecting a rain and wet snow mix on Tuesday. The mix of precipitation is forecast to linger well into the evening hours on Tuesday, creating the potential of slippery roads for those out ringing in the new year. Be sure to stay abreast of changing road conditions during this time as the weather could vary widely across a narrow zone.

What to Expect in the Northeast

The storm is forecast to track into the northeastern U.S. later on Tuesday and into Wednesday. Rain will be the major story for a zone from the Ohio Valley and over to the Atlantic Seaboard. The central Appalachians and the higher terrains of southern New England should also prepare for meaningful rainfall out of this system.

Unfortunately for those planning to be in Times Square for all of the festivities on Tuesday, the raindrops are expected to arrive between 5 and 7 pm. The mass of moisture will anchor itself over midtown Manhattan for a few hours, making for a soggy ball drop. Forecasters are warning that the rain will be heavy at times.

While there is a chance that the heaviest bands of rain will wrap up by the time the clock strikes midnight, the drizzle will linger into early Wednesday in New York City. Temperatures will remain unseasonably warm, helping to take the chill out of the moisture. The actual air temperature is forecast to hover around the 50-degree mark at midnight. However, real feel readings will drop into the upper 30s and low 40s when the wind picks up speed.

Chances of Snow in the Forecast

Like the central parts of the U.S., the central and northern Appalachians will see the chance of snow when the cold air mass comes in at the tail end of the storm. The Great Lakes will also be under the threat of lake-effect snow as the mercury falls.

The exact snow totals will be highly dependent on elevation. Lower elevations of the Appalachians may miss out on the snow completely. Conversely, elevations of 1,500 feet or higher are expecting to pick up snowfall accumulations of 1 to 6 inches. Some of the highest ridges of the Adirondacks and the Green and White Mountains could see over a foot of snow.

Some stretches of interstates 70, 80, 84, and 89 will likely become slick in the higher terrains. Motorists would be wise to keep an eye on this developing situation, especially those headed up to the ski resorts in Upstate New York and New England.

The lake-effect snow event will be fairly minimal thanks to the speed of the weather maker and the lack of cold air to work with. The highest snow totals will likely land across northeastern Ohio, northern Michigan, and western and northern parts of New York. Snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches are possible in this area.

For instance, Erie, Pennsylvania will see straight rain on Tuesday thanks to highs that reach the mid 40s. However, falling temperatures overnight and into Wednesday will pave the way for snow to fire up. The city is forecast to pick up about an inch of snow on Wednesday during the day with another inch on tap overnight. Thursday and Friday will bring more of the same. Winds will also present issues, coming in at speeds of 20 to 30 mph for the next few days.

The long-range forecast is calling for colder air to infiltrate the Midwest and the Northeast as the storm pushes off to sea. Some of the coldest readings of the season are in store for much of the central and southern U.S. as Arctic air creeps down into the U.S. from Canada in the days ahead.

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