Though it wasn’t a white Christmas for the majority of the Northeast, a powerful snowstorm is brewing right after the holiday, unleashing impactful snow and ice for millions that will threaten major cities, airports and highways.
A quick but impactful shot of snow and ice will blast through the Northeast Friday into early Saturday and significantly impact post-Christmas travel, as over 60 million Americans face winter weather alerts from Philadelphia through New York City in what could be the biggest snow totals the Big Apple has seen in years.
The FOX Forecast Center is forecasting a widespread 3 to 5 inches of snow from central New Jersey through New York City into southern Connecticut.
Locally higher amounts of 5 to 8 inches or more are possible across New York City and into northern New Jersey and western Long Island.
As a result, the National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Warnings scattered across the region. Winter Weather Advisories are in place across Upstate New York into Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, at the storm’s peak overnight Friday, snowfall rates could reach an inch or more per hour.
Early Saturday morning, warm air from the south will clash into cold air filtering south from Canada, setting the stage between Philadelphia and New York City, where snow is expected to mix with and even change to all sleet or freezing rain before the storm ends.
It’s been over 1,400 days since more than 6 inches of snow fell in New York City in a 24-hour window, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
A streak that Big Apple winter weather lovers may see come to an end with this post-Christmas storm, which has triggered the issuance of a Winter Storm Warning in New York City for the first time in just under four years.
“As New Yorkers continue to celebrate the holidays and prepare to celebrate the new year, they should also prepare for hazardous travel conditions Friday into Saturday,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press release. “New York City agencies have been coordinating and are prepared for the winter weather system, and we continue to monitor conditions closely.
TRAVEL TROUBLE
In one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, post-Christmas travelers should be on alert, as the powerful winter storm could affect some of the region’s busiest travel hubs, from international airports to interstate highways.
Rain, snow and ice will present a problem for travelers in the region as several major international airports across the region are under winter weather alerts including LaGuardia International Airport, Newark International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
A number of major highways, including I-95, I-94, I-90, I-80, and I-91 in the region will be affected by the winter storm that has prompted winter weather alerts throughout the Northeast.
ICE STORM WARNING
Strong high pressure in Canada will introduce an ice threat across the Northeast, with a tenth to a quarter inch of ice accretion likely across central Michigan and in areas in Pennsylvania by midday Friday.
Isolated ice amounts over a quarter of an inch could cause scattered power outages, with the highest ice accretion spanning from State College, Pennsylvania through Frederick, Maryland.
Elevated concern has resulted in an Ice Storm Warning across western Pennsylvania.
Warning travelers in the region, FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver said, “You’ve got to be aware these are dangerous driving conditions as that ice starts going.”
In affected areas, dangerous road conditions will lead to treacherous travel across the affected areas from Friday through early Saturday. Luckily, given the speed of this system, most areas will dry out by Saturday morning.
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