Train of wintry storms to keep roads in Northeast treacherous all week

 By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

Published Dec. 27, 2021 11:51 AM EST | Updated Dec. 27, 2021 9:12 PM EST

An active weather pattern that got underway prior to Christmas is in no hurry to close up shop in the Northeast, as AccuWeather forecasters expect a few more doses of the rain and wintry mix to sweep through the region during the final days of 2021.

Storms have rolled through the region like clockwork in recent days, arriving every 24 to 36 hours. They have produced just enough snow and ice across the interior Northeast to cause slick travel.

These storms have been riding along the northern rim of a high pressure system anchored over the Southeast. This high will remain rather strong over the Southeast, which will send milder air farther north in the upper levels of the atmosphere while the area near the ground remains cold, according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

"This will lead to a mix of freezing rain, sleet, snow and then rain for many areas," Pastelok said.

This radar image from the midmorning hours of Monday, Dec. 27, shows areas of snow (blue), ice (pink) and rain (green) moving through portions of the Northeast. (AccuWeather)

The region's latest storm reached the central Appalachians on Monday morning and sent snowflakes flying through western portions of New York state, central and southern Pennsylvania and into the northwestern suburbs of Baltimore.

Vehicle accidents were reported along Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania as webcams showed snow-covered roadways. Speed restrictions were put into effect for stretches of the highway as the snow coated the ground.

This wave of precipitation reached New England Monday night and will last into Tuesday, with accumulating snowfall most likely in Maine during this timeframe. However, a touch of snow or sleet is forecast to occur near and north of New York City for a time.

The next storm will already be knocking on the doorstep of the mid-Atlantic states Tuesday afternoon.

"There is likely to be some more icy travel from a wintry mix across northern Pennsylvania and upstate New York later Tuesday into Tuesday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Feerick said.

Motorists are reminded to exercise caution on the roadways across the interior, especially during the overnight and early-morning hours when it's more difficult to spot a layer of ice. Bridges and overpasses are typically the first road surfaces to turn icy when any wintry precipitation occurs.

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"It's that first inch or two of snow that can be tricky to drive on and really cause difficulties for motorists," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

AccuWeather meteorologists say that a coating to an inch or two of snow is likely prior to any transition to a wintry mix from near Interstate 80 to points north.

Dry air over New England is expected to limit the precipitation's northern and eastern extent into places such as Boston and Portland and Bangor, Maine, during Tuesday night.

It is with the next storm Wednesday night through Thursday that slippery travel can shift farther north in New England, according to Feerick. The extent of any wintry precipitation with the late-week event is expected to be even smaller than the storms from earlier in the week due to a more significant northward surge of milder air.

"There is still only going to be marginally cold air in place, which should keep most precipitation along the I-95 corridor in the form of rain with the storms this week," Feerick said.

Forecasters caution that even with all wet roads there can be slower travel due to reduced visibility at times.

The region may end up being between storms on New Year's Eve as people flock to New York City and other big cities to celebrate the start of 2022, but AccuWeather meteorologists will be keeping a close eye on a big storm expected to take shape over the nation's midsection. Latest indications point toward this storm being the biggest of the bunch, packing rain, wind, snow, ice and sharply colder air for the first days of 2022 in the Northeast.

More to see:

Potent storm to reignite severe weather dangers in Southeast

Top winter activities that could send you to the emergency room

Western US to close 2021 with record cold and piling snow

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