Combining Storms Will Bring 12 Inches of Snow to These Regions: "This Is Going to Be Big"
The first week of spring will also bring one to three inches of rain to other areas.
Thanks to the relatively mild weather, many likely assumed they'd be safe from any kind of extended winter this year. But now, unseasonably warm temperatures have been replaced with chilly conditions in a twist of cruel irony for much of the U.S. And besides feeling like spring is still long off, some places will also begin to look like a winter wonderland. That's because two combining storms are expected to bring 12 inches of snow to some places in the coming days. Read on to see which regions are in the crosshairs.
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Cold weather has reemerged for parts of the U.S. just as spring begins.
Those who were hoping for a quick transition into warmer weather are likely disappointed by the first few days of spring. This week, chillier temperatures reemerged across the U.S., beginning with a deep freeze that blanketed the Southeast right in time for the equinox on March 19.
By midweek, another passing storm system charged by the same chilly air mass began to skim the northern Rockies, northern Plains States, and Midwest. Relatively heavy snow was expected in a northern swath running from Montana to Michigan, with forecasts predicting as much as three to five inches in Minneapolis and five to eight inches in Milwaukee through Friday, Fox Weather reports.
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A combined storm system is expected to drop even more snow on the East.
But the wintery path won't end there. The same system is expected to keep pushing east, where it will collide with another storm moving up the coast from the Gulf of Mexico, Fox Weather reports. The added moisture will help fuel the system, while the chillier temperatures from the Midwest storm will provide the conditions needed for heavy snowfall in the Northeast.
"This one is going to be big," Bob Van Dillen, a meteorologist with Fox Weather, said during a forecast update.
Winter storm watches have been issued in parts of the region for Friday and Saturday, covering an area from Upstate New York, up through northern Vermont and New Hampshire, and into western Maine. But flakes are expected to fall over a larger area before the systems push out to sea.
"The fresh cold air injection will set the stage for the next storm to bring a wintry mix to parts of the central Appalachians and an all-out heavy snowfall from parts of northern New York to Maine from Friday night to Saturday evening," said Joseph Bauer, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.
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Some places could see a foot of snow or more by the time the storm finishes.
Unfortunately for anyone who hoped they had seen the last of their snow shovel for the season, significant accumulation is expected in some areas. Western areas could see snow start falling by Friday night, with northern New York expected to get five to eight inches in total.
The snow will then push through to northern New England early Saturday, where northern Vermont could see eight to 12 inches accumulate. Northern New Hampshire and central and inland parts of Maine are expected to get hit the hardest, with forecasts projecting 18 to 24 inches through Sunday, per Fox Weather.
Areas just to the south will still likely get some of the white stuff. One to five inches is expected through much of central New York and southern Vermont and New Hampshire, while cities like Boston could see a quick dusting of an inch or less.
Other places will get drenched by the storms throughout the weekend.
Even if snowflakes don't fall there, areas to the south won't be spared from a wet weekend. Beginning Friday night, the East Coast is expected to be soaked by the passing storm.
Forecasts predict two to three inches of rain falling from coastal Virginia through southern New England, including Boston, Fox Weather reports. Areas a bit further inland are still expected to see torrential rain, with a total of one to two inches falling through the weekend.
The storms are expected to push away from the area by the end of Sunday. Conditions are then expected to stay dry through much of next week in the region, Fox Weather predicts.
