Over the past few days, meteorologists have been tracking a massive winter storm moving across the continental U.S. which is expected to bring heavy snow and ice to much of the country. Initially forecast to impact the southern United States, the storm now appears to be shifting.
Recent models indicate that the storm will move farther north than first predicted, potentially affecting around 160 million Americans in some of the nation’s largest cities.
According to a Jan. 21 post on X by the NWS Weather Prediction Center, “An expansive winter storm will produce swaths of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies and Plains into the Mid-South starting Friday and shifting across the East Coast this weekend, possibly through Monday for New England.”
While there is certainty that the storm will occur, its exact trajectory remains murky. As such, experts say to “start preparations now for an impactful and prolonged winter storm and keep up to date with the forecast.”
Online meteorologist Ryan Hall, who refers to himself as “The Internet’s Weather Man,” detailed the uncertainty over the storm’s trajectory in a post on X.
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“The European model shifted nearly 200 miles in 12 hours. The GFS came with it. So did the NAM, the ensemble means, and even the AI guidance. When you see that kind of agreement across the board you have to pay attention,” Hall wrote.
He added that despite uncertainty surrounding the exact path of the storm, millions should brace themselves.
“This doesn’t change the big picture. A major winter storm is still coming Friday through the weekend. We’re still looking at around 160 million people under the gun for wintery precipitation by Sunday morning. Winter Storm Watches now stretch from New Mexico to Tennessee and they’ll keep expanding today,” Hall said.
He says, it remains unclear exactly what type of precipitation the Deep South will have, however it looks like heavy snow is not in the forecast.
“The northern trend is less good news for the Deep South and parts of the Mid-South. A farther north track brings warmer air aloft faster, which shifts the snow/ice/rain lines. Areas that looked locked in for heavy snow are now seeing more uncertainty about precipitation type,” Hall wrote.
Mid-Atlantic may be worst hit
Hall says that the storm could bring as much as 12 inches of snow to “Roanoke, Richmond, Norfolk, [and] Washington,” because these areas are directly in the path of the “snow corridor.”
“Local NWS offices are calling this a split flow pattern, something we haven’t seen yet this winter, and historically favorable for notable winter storms in Virginia,” Hall explained.
It could get extremely messy as precipitation may transition from heavy snow to freezing rain by Sunday.
According to Hall, “The NWS Richmond is calling for 3 to 12 inches with the caveat that more than 12 inches is on the table. They’ve also flagged ice accumulation potential if snow transitions to freezing rain Sunday afternoon and evening.”
Hall says it will be “dangerous to impossible” to travel on Sunday and Monday in the impacted areas.
Among the major cities that need to brace are Louisville, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.
Authorities are warning that significant travel disruptions, ice-covered roads, and possible power outages are likely in many areas as the storm moves eastward. Residents are encouraged to monitor NWS forecasts and local emergency updates, avoid non-essential travel during peak storm conditions, and make sure they have emergency supplies and heating plans ready.
