Potential nor'easter may bring rain, snow and strong winds to the Northeast
A developing low-pressure system could bring a mix of rain, wet snow and gusty winds to the Northeast and Great Lakes later this week, with temperatures falling sharply across the region.
A developing low-pressure system is expected to affect the Northeast and Great Lakes late this week into the weekend, bringing a combination of rain, wet snow and gusty winds. A deep southward plunge in the jet stream, known as a trough, is forecast to move across the East, prompting a sharp drop in daytime highs of about 20 degrees from Wednesday to Friday from Chicago to Atlanta. By the weekend, lows could fall into the 30s as far south as the Florida Panhandle.
Models show a low pressure area moving across the Midwest on Wednesday, strengthening as it reaches the Ohio Valley Wednesday night and delivering rain from Georgia to Michigan. By Thursday night, another low is expected to form off the Eastern Seaboard, where rain may mix with or change to wet snow over interior parts of the Northeast.
Forecasts differ on the storm's exact track. Some suggest the low will stay close to the coast, raising the risk of strong wind gusts and coastal flooding at high tide from the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina to New England, along with heavier precipitation. Other scenarios place the low farther offshore, implying lighter rain, inland snow and less intense coastal winds, though flooding risk remains.
The greatest chances for snow accumulation are projected from the mountains of northern New England to upstate New York and the Appalachians, while the I-95 corridor is expected to remain above freezing, limiting snow in major metropolitan areas. Lake-effect bands may produce wet snow as cold air moves over the relatively warm Great Lakes, potentially marking the first seasonal snow for some locations. The forecast remains subject to change as models converge on a final scenario.