Northeast braces for coldest weekend of winter with snow, quick freeze for some

A brutally cold weekend awaits more than 100 million people in the northeastern quarter of the nation as arctic air flows south straight from eastern Canada. The initial blast of cold air will bring flurries of snow in some areas, followed by a quick freeze and strong, gusty winds.

The air will have little chance to warm on its journey south, as the landscape is largely frozen, with vast areas of deep snow and frozen lakes and rivers. If, when the statistics are tallied, this weekend does not officially bring the lowest temperatures of the winter, in many cases it will feel like it for a while.

Enough wintry conditions will unfold to cause flight delays and cancellations, as well as slick travel on area highways this weekend from the Midwest to the Northeast.

In most cases, the harshest part of the weekend will be the first half, when most of the snow and wind will occur.

Snow will move from the Great Lakes region to the Appalachians during the day Friday. Some areas around the Great Lakes and the west-facing foothills of the Appalachians will pick up 1-3 inches of snow from the setup. The first part of the snow may occur with temperatures near or slightly above freezing. Then, as Arctic air moves in, the snow will become more powdery and wet, and the slushy areas will freeze quickly.

Snowfall tends to decrease east of the Appalachians in the mid-Atlantic region. For some, there may be only a few snow showers that bring little or no accumulation, then it becomes dry, windy and very cold.

However, in parts of New England, as a storm develops along the Arctic front as it nears the Atlantic, an enhanced area of ​​snow could form, producing an inch or more on Saturday.

“It is possible that there will be a narrow area where 4-5 inches of snow will fall over southern and central New England on Saturday,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Timeline of weather events in various cities

In Detroit, the arctic front will bring snow late Thursday night through Friday afternoon. After the morning high of 35°F, temperatures will drop into the 20s and into the twenties, causing the 1-3 inches of snow and slush to freeze solid, creating difficult commutes on Friday. Temperatures will drop to just above zero Saturday morning and fight their way back to just the mid-teens Saturday afternoon, only to drop back down to near zero Saturday night.

Further east, snow will begin in New York City later Friday afternoon or Friday night and continue at varying rates into the early hours of Saturday morning. Friday night, temperatures will hover in the 20s, only to fall into the teens on Saturday during the day, despite the return of the sun. Those heading to Manhattan to see a show on Saturday should be prepared for the dead of winter. Temperatures will drop into the single digits Saturday night and again Sunday night. The lowest temperature in New York City so far this winter has been 9 degrees on a few occasions in the last week of January. Temperatures are forecast to drop lower than Sunday and Monday morning.

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In Boston, the snow will hold off until late Friday night, but Saturday is likely to be quite wintry with snow of varying intensity and temperatures dropping into the low-teens in the afternoon and then near zero Saturday night. After temperatures battle their way into the teens on Sunday, temperatures will drop back into the single digits Sunday night. Temperatures are forecast to drop below the season low of 5 F on Sunday morning.

Bad winds, dangerously low AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures

“Not only will the air temperature drop after the Arctic front passes, but North Northwest winds with gusts of 35-55 mph will also occur, resulting in AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures™ falling to dangerously low levels,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. Current temperatures will drop into the single digits or below zero in much of the Northeast.

Those who are not properly dressed risk frostbite and hypothermia. Skiers, boarders and snowmobilers should be prepared for extreme conditions.

In most cases, Sunday will end up being the least severe of the weekend’s two days, with winds expected to ease in the afternoon. But temperatures will start the day at frigid levels. Only the February sun will offer some comfort during the afternoon and afternoon when you are driving around in the car.

In the North East, temperatures will drop on Sunday evening in places where the sky remains clear.

Tens of thousands were still without power in Tennessee and Mississippi as of Wednesday morning after a devastating snowstorm nearly two weeks ago. Fortunately, this Arctic blast will not penetrate deep into the southern states and should remain north of the Florida Peninsula, which has recently been hit hard by a damaging freeze.

On Sunday, as warmer air begins to build over the Northern Rockies and Plains, lots of snow and spotty freezing rain or drizzle will likely develop over the Great Lakes region and move southeast across parts of the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians.

This same slippery travel zone may reach part of the mid-Atlantic region Sunday night into Monday morning.

For those struggling with the relentless cold and racking up high heating bills, there is some good news on the way for weeks two and three of February.

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