Accumulating snow to target DC to Philly, NYC at start of weekend
A quick-moving storm with snow from the Midwest will finish up along the mid-Atlantic coast on Saturday morning. Several inches of snow will lead to slippery and snow-covered highways as well as airline delays and flight cancellations at some of the major hubs from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City at the start of the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
Because cold air was already chilling the region ahead of the storm, snow was able to stick to roads and sidewalks at a faster pace when compared to the storm earlier in the week.
The storm will create wintry travel along segments of Interstates 64, 66, 68, 70, 77, 78, 79, 81, 95 and 99, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. The snow may still be falling and accumulating in areas on Saturday morning when the greatest impacts are anticipated.
The storm will produce a broad swath where 1-3 inches of snow will accumulate. Heavier snow is likely with the storm in a concentrated band that extends to the east of the West Virginia and Maryland mountains into parts of southern Pennsylvania and perhaps to the New Jersey and Delaware coasts.
Within this zone, snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour are likely for up to a couple of hours, with a storm total of 3-6 inches. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches is most likely to occur in the central Appalachians. Some locations from the higher terrain of West Virginia, central Ohio and east-central Pennsylvania will observe upwards of 6 inches of snow.
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The storm will continue to move quickly to the east on Saturday. Snow will taper off from west to east during the morning and midday hours.
In the wake of the storm, sunshine on Saturday afternoon could start to melt some of the fresh snowfall. However, AccuWeather meteorologists caution that any snowmelt will freeze on Saturday night, leading to ice that could remain through Sunday morning. Motorists and pedestrians should be on the lookout for patches of ice as they may appear to be wet but, in fact, may be thin ice instead.
AccuWeather meteorologists are already monitoring a new storm with the potential for snow, rain and a wintry mix for much of the Northeast around the end of next week.
Before that storm, a several-day break from snow is in store for the mid-Atlantic beginning Saturday afternoon through the middle of next week.
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