Snow forecast is over a foot in parts of East Coast: Winter storm could break snow drought

Forecasters say a winter storm will bring a mix of ice and snow to a swath of the East Coast over the weekend, potentially snarling travel and causing power outages.

The storm could bring 8 to 12 or more inches of snow in some areas of the Northeast on Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service said. It could be some of the first significant snowfall in major eastern cities in about two years.

More than 20 million Americans were under winter storm watches or warnings Friday morning, including those in a cluster of Northeast states and areas around the nation's capital, according to the weather service.

"The combination of heavy, wet snow and gusty winds in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts may lead to some power outages and tree damage," the weather service said.

Gusty onshore winds could lead to flooding along the coasts in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England, and freezing rain and sleet could make travel dangerous in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, the weather service said.

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New York City weekend weather, snow forecast

According to the National Weather Service office in New York City, the storm will bring the "first significant snowfall to interior locations, mainly to the north and west of New York City."

The New York City/New Jersey metro area, along with Long Island, were expected to see 1 inch or less of snow, which will develop Saturday night and transition to rain by midnight.

Portions of the lower Hudson Valley, northeast New Jersey and Connecticut along I-95 or just north of it could see 3 to 6 inches of snow, while interior portions of the lower Hudson Valley and southern Connecticut could see anywhere from 6 to 14 inches of snow.

Philadelphia weekend weather forecast

Philadelphia probably will see rain this weekend, "though precipitation may begin or end as wet snow near I-95 with little to no accumulation," according to the National Weather Service office in Philadelphia and Mount Holly.

The Southern Poconos and far northern New Jersey could see 6 to 12 inches of snow beginning Saturday afternoon, peaking during the evening then tapering off into Sunday morning.

Baltimore, D.C. weekend weather forecast

The National Weather Service said precipitation was expected to spread over the area starting early Saturday, mostly in the form of snow, with sleet mixing in at times.

"For areas right along and east of I-95, any snow is not expected to stick beyond a coating on the grass and elevated surfaces," the weather service said.

Any precipitation is expected to quickly turn into a cold rain by midmorning.

Boston weekend weather forecast

"Of all the major cities along I-95, Boston is in position to pick up 4-8 inches of snow from the storm with heavier amounts to the west of the city, where any mixing in of sleet and rain is unlikely," AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said.

The National Weather Service office in Boston said heavy snow accumulations of 8 to 12 inches were possible for areas north and west of I-95 Saturday night into Sunday.

For areas east of I-95, snow totals were less certain and would depend on where the rain-snow line sets up, according to the weather service.

Another storm to bring wintry weather across country

This weekend won't be the end of it. While the Northeast is hit with snow this weekend, a second winter storm is expected to arrive on the West Coast and make its way east next week, bringing with it snow, strong wind and blizzard conditions to parts of the country.

The National Weather Service said the second storm will strengthen as it travels east.

Heavy snow is expected in higher elevations of the west this weekend. It will then impact the Southern High Plains, Central Plains and Midwest on Monday and Tuesday. By Tuesday and into Wednesday, it will bring more snow to the interior Northeast, the weather service said. Gusty winds over 50 mph are also forecast for the Appalachians and East Coast, where there could also be coastal flooding.

Eastern cities have seen a long snow drought

The last time there was an inch of snow from a single storm in New York City was on Feb. 13, 2022, or 691 days ago. And in Washington, D.C., the most recent storm that brought an inch of snow was 719 days ago on Jan. 16, 2022, according to AccuWeather.

For Baltimore, it has been 707 days since 1 inch of snow fell, and in Philadelphia, it has been 706 days.

It's not just the big cities that have endured a lack of snow: "As the snow drought continues along much of I-95 in the mid-Atlantic, snow has also been very lean across the central Appalachians, Great Lakes region and coastal New England," said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See snow forecast this weekend: NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, DC