An East Coast Snowstorm Is Possible Next Week

Jonathan Erdman

Published: December 11, 2020

An East Coast storm is increasingly possible next week that could wring out snow, not just for the interior Northeast, but also parts of the Interstate 95 corridor from Boston to New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

Earlier this month, a pair of winter storms – named Dane and Eartha by The Weather Channel – dumped heavy snow in parts of the eastern Great Lakes and New England, respectively, but spared most of the rest of the Northeast of any significant snow.

(MORE: Northeast High-Impact Snowstorm Drought Enters Third Winter)

This upcoming storm might be different.

In this case, strong high pressure – a feature largely absent in the previous storms earlier in the month – is expected to build eastward across Canada early next week.

The Canadian high is a key ingredient for significant Northeast snowstorms, as it supplies fresh, cold air into the Northeast.

Meanwhile, low pressure is expected to form near or off the East Coast by Wednesday and may then gain strength.

If that Canadian high at least somewhat holds in place, it would force the low to move either close to the coast or offshore, and also keep cold air in place while the storm moves through.

As is typically the case, the exact track of the surface low and how strong and persistent the cold air will be remains uncertain this far out in time.

Therefore, it's far too soon to hone in on the details of who may see snow and/or rain, how much of each will fall and how windy it will be.

Outlook

While we can't be too certain about those forecast details yet, there are a few aspects of this system coming into somewhat clearer focus.

1. At least some measurable, accumulating snow is possible along the I-95 corridor from Boston to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. But some rain may also occur for a time, especially closer to the coast.

2. Winds could be strong, particularly along the coast.

3. Wednesday appears to be the peak day of this East Coast storm, though some snow could linger into early Thursday.

(MORE: 6 Things to Know About Your Snow Forecast)

Wednesday's Outlook

Check back frequently for updates to this forecast as the key details come into focus over the next several days.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.