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At a Glance A winter storm will bring snow, ice, rain and wind to the East this weekend.
Parts of southern and central New England will see significant snowfall accumulations and gusty winds.
In areas farther south, the most significant snow should be north and west of the I-95 corridor. Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.
Winter Storm Ember will hit the East this weekend, bringing a combination of snow, ice, rain and wind that could create dangerous travel conditions.
(MORE: How Winter Storms Are Named)
Here’s where the storm is now: Ember is tracking from the Southwest toward the Central Plains with snow and rain. Below is a look at the latest radar showing where this system is producing precipitation right now. Snowfall totals in these areas will generally be light to moderate.
(15-min details: For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)
Current Radar
Peak impacts in the East from Ember will be over the weekend: Low pressure will intensify as it tracks from the Deep South northward up the East Coast this weekend. The storm could go on to become a nor’easter, which means it would have winds blowing from a northeast direction along parts of the Eastern Seaboard.
(MORE: Fast Facts About Nor’easters)
The track of the low will allow the storm to produce snow, a mix of rain and snow and some ice in areas where its moisture interacts with colder air to the north and west of the low’s track from the Ohio Valley into parts of the Appalachians, mid-Atlantic and Northeast Saturday and Saturday night. Some areas will experience gusty winds as well.
Ember will begin to pull away from the Northeast by later Sunday, but snow, rain and wind will continue through the day.
You can see the general timing of the storm in the next three maps.
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Saturday’s Forecast (The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)
Saturday Night’s Forecast (The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)
Sunday’s Forecast (The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)
Here’s a look at how much snow and ice to expect: The forecast is still somewhat uncertain because of lingering questions about the storm’s exact track, intensity and the availability of cold air. Therefore, keep in mind the forecast below is subject to change.
Right now, forecast projections show cold air won’t be abundant for some locations near the coast, which means areas from Washington, D.C., to New York City might be in line for a mix of rain and snow or even all rain. Our latest forecast below shows the best chance of significant snow (5 or more inches) to the north and west of this part of the Interstate 95 corridor in portions of central and northeast Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and parts of New York’s Hudson Valley.
Parts of southern and central New England, including locations that are in close proximity to Interstate 95, also have a greater chance of significant snow (5 or more inches). That will include portions of the Boston, Providence and Hartford metro areas.
(MORE: 6 Things You Should Know About Snowfall Forecasts)
Snow and Rain Forecast
Ice accumulations from freezing rain will be most significant in the southern and central Appalachians and adjacent parts of the Piedmont from western North Carolina into western Virginia.
NOAA’s Probability Of 0.10″ Or Greater Ice Accumulation (Ice accumulations of 0.10 inches or less can cause travel to be extremely dangerous but usually are not damaging to trees and power lines.)
Here’s what you should be prepared for: Poor travel conditions will be the main impact from this storm in the East this weekend. It’s best avoid travel or delay it if possible in the areas expecting snow and ice.
(MORE: How To Drive In Snow)
Chris Dolce has been a senior meteorologist with weather.com for over 10 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
Source: weather.com
