A powerful winter storm is forecast to hit much of the Northeast United States, bringing heavy snow — in some locations exceeding a foot — starting Monday night and continuing through Tuesday. Forecasters warned that the system could also produce a dangerous mix of ice and snow across states from northeastern Oklahoma through the Ohio Valley, creating treacherous driving conditions.
The National Weather Service predicts at least six inches of snow by Tuesday night across parts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. The heaviest snowfall is expected from the Poconos through Downeast Maine, with five to 10 inches possible and higher elevations potentially seeing more than a foot. Freezing rain may cause ice accumulation beginning Monday morning in Oklahoma and Arkansas, while the central and southern Appalachians face the greatest icing risk. Areas from southwestern North Carolina through western Virginia into western Maryland could see up to a quarter-inch of ice Monday night into Tuesday morning. Rain and light snow were already falling in parts of New England and New York early Monday, with New York City expecting mostly rain and little to no snow accumulation. The main storm is forecast to arrive later Monday as it moves up the Eastern Seaboard after developing over the Gulf Coast. Meteorologists expect the heaviest snow to end by Tuesday night. The storm is classified as a Nor’easter, which occurs when cold Arctic air collides with warmer coastal winds, creating low-pressure systems that bring heavy clouds, strong winds, and significant snowfall.