The second of five storms hitting the eastern half of the United States with snow and ice over a two-week period is on its way — and this one has more snow than the first.
The first storm unleashed severe weather, life-threatening flooding, and ice and snow as it swept across the Midwest and Northeast last Wednesday and Thursday.
The next storm already hit the West Coast on Thursday (6) night and is racing eastward through the Northern Rockies. It will move so quickly that it will take less than 72 hours to go coast to coast, bringing heavy snow to the Midwest on Saturday and to the Northeast Saturday night and Sunday.
The storms are being driven by a jet stream. New storms will arrive every few days until the jet stream changes — something that may not happen until mid-February. Therefore, more snow could accumulate over the next two weeks in some parts of the east, including Boston and New York, than has fallen in the last two winters combined.
The snow from the next storm will begin early Saturday over the northern plains and the Upper Midwest. A mix of rain and freezing rain will stretch from Missouri to the central Appalachians on Saturday morning, while snow falls over the Great Lakes.
The storm will leave 3 to 6 inches of snow from central Minnesota to central Michigan. Chicago may end up with less than 2.5 cm of snow, while Detroit will see 2.5 cm.
A mix of rain with ice, sleet, and snow will spread across Pennsylvania by Saturday night. The same mix will spread across New Jersey, New York, and Long Island shortly after.
At least 6 inches of snow are possible from central New York to southern Maine and much of southern New England. Snow totals could approach double digits from Syracuse, New York, to Boston.
Boston could be buried under a foot of snow Saturday night and Sunday, which would be more snow than fell all last winter. The city has not seen a double-digit snowfall in a single day in the last three years.
The storm will come to an end by mid-morning Sunday for much of the Northeast. A bit of snow may linger into early afternoon in Maine and along the New England coast.
There will be only a brief break in the winter weather in the East, which will begin next week, before another storm.
The exact timing and extent of the next storm are still being studied, but it is forecast to bring precipitation to much of the eastern half of the U.S. overnight Monday and Tuesday.
Boston is expected to average 3 feet of snow each winter, but less than 2 feet have fallen in the last two winters combined. This next storm could bring 1 to 2 feet of snow to the city.
A similar scenario could unfold in New York City. Less than 10 inches of snow covered the city in the last two winters, but that amount could accumulate during the next week alone.
Source: CNN