First Accumulating Snow Aims for NYC, DC, Philly and Boston

AOL Weather

A storm Sunday into Monday will hit areas of the coastal Northeast, largely missed by Friday’s snow and ice. The storm threatens to bring travel delays throughout the region and power outages to thousands inland.

On Sunday, slippery conditions from snow and ice are likely over much of Virginia to southern Pennsylvania.  

During Sunday night, travel delays from wintry precipitation are likely from western Virginia to northern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey to New York City and southern New England.

On Monday, the wintry mess will focus over much of upstate New York and interior New England.

A large amount of snow is not expected in the I-95 corridor with most places receiving a brief period of snow transitioning to rain.

Only a coating to an inch or two of snow and a bit of sleet is likely along the I-95 corridor but it would be the first accumulating snow of the season so far from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Most of the snow accumulation will be on non-paved surfaces, but slippery roads are possible.

Of the I-95 cities, Washington, D.C. may have the longest duration where temperatures are near to below the freezing mark (32 degrees) and precipitation is falling.

According to AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno, “Around portions of Virginia and Maryland, where the precipitation comes right in Sunday morning and comes down hard, these areas will have the greatest chance of an extended period of slippery travel.”

Because Washington, D.C. is located farthest inland of the I-95 cities it may take the area longer to warm up during the storm in this situation.

As the storm moves along Sunday through Monday many locations over the interior will also transition to plain rain. However, there will continue to be a few pockets where an extended period of ice occurs with treacherous driving conditions.

One area of ice is likely to focus in the I-81 corridor from western Virginia to south central Pennsylvania.

Another zone where some ice buildup is possible is over central New England and part of eastern upstate New York.

According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski, “Enough ice may accrue on trees and utility lines in both areas to block roads and cause power outages.”

Only if more sleet were to fall instead of freezing rain would there be less serious damage and disruption.

People attempting to catch Sunday afternoon and evening flights in or out of the mid-Atlantic are likely to experience delays and could be faced with a few cancellations. These flight disruptions will expand into New England Monday.

The storm will also put down snow and ice west of the Appalachians through much of the Midwest and rain in the South. A wintry mix will lead to slippery travel and potential flight delays from Detroit to Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City, Mo. Flight delays from rain and low ceilings are possible at Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.

Road conditions are likely to improve from Washington, D.C., to New York City by Monday morning as rain takes over, but travel may be slow, slushy and slippery around Boston in the early hours. Flight delays due to rain and low ceilings may linger through much of the day Monday in the I-95 Northeast.

The northern and western suburbs of the I-95 cities will stay colder longer and are likely to have more snow, ice and travel woes when compared to the major cities closer to the coast.

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