Weekly Highlights February 22nd to 28th

A dynamic and impactful winter pattern is unfolding across the United States this week, highlighted by a major snowstorm expected to affect the Northeast late Sunday into Monday. A huge snowstorm in the Northeast Sunday/Monday from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. northward through New York City and Boston will bring the potential for over a foot of snow, along with blizzard conditions in some areas. The bulk of the storm will intensify later Sunday as rain transitions to snow and temperatures cool rapidly. Areas further north and west of the storm’s center are expected to see over 8 inches of snowfall, while locations farther from the coast may receive anywhere from 1 to 8 inches depending on proximity to the heaviest bands and mixing zones.

In addition to the coastal system, lake-effect snow will develop downwind of the Great Lakes on Sunday, enhancing snowfall totals in favored snowbelt regions. The Great Lakes region overall looks to receive at least 4 inches of snow this week, with some communities seeing higher totals due to multiple rounds of snowfall. Other parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest can expect 1 to 4 inches, while the Northeast and the Appalachians are forecast to see well over 4 inches through the week as additional systems track through following the initial blizzard. Further west, snow will expand across the Northern Rockies this week, bringing periods of accumulating snowfall to higher elevations and nearby valleys. In the Pacific Northwest, showers will begin the week, adding to the active weather pattern across the western United States.

The unsettled pattern continues into midweek. More snow is expected to move from the Great Lakes into the Northeast Tuesday into Wednesday. By Wednesday into Thursday, another system will spread snow from the Plains into the Midwest. South of the primary storm track, the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys will experience showers and thunderstorms, some of which could become severe on Thursday and Friday morning. Snow will then advance into the Ohio Valley and parts of the Northeast on Thursday and Friday, reinforcing an already wintry week for many communities.

By Matt K.
Forecaster