By AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 23, 2023 2:07 PM EST | Updated Jan 23, 2023 3:53 PM EST
The final full week of January started on a wintry note as a winter storm blanketed a swath of the interior Northeast with snow that disrupted travel and caused disruptions to daily activities. Another snowstorm will follow close on the early-week system’s heels, AccuWeather forecasters say, and the cold air left behind the first storm could allow the second to unload heavier accumulations and pack a bigger punch.
The second winter storm began strengthening in the southwestern United States on Monday and will bring snow from New Mexico and Texas to Missouri through Tuesday. As the storm continues to trek northeastward, snow will arrive in the Ohio Valley by Tuesday night and eventually the Northeast by Wednesday.
Not only will colder air be in place as the storm gets underway from Chicago and Detroit to Syracuse and Albany, New York, allowing snow to accumulate faster, but the colder air will also stay put throughout the storm’s duration, meaning that precipitation will remain as snow throughout the entirety of the storm.
A wide swath of 3-6 inches of snow is expected from southern Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and southern Michigan to Pennsylvania and New York to Maine. The heaviest snowfall will pile up from northern New York to interior parts of Maine, where a foot or more will accumulate. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches could fall in that zone.
Areas in the Midwest can expect snow-covered roadways before the sun rises on Wednesday morning. Travel conditions will deteriorate across portions of interstates 70, 80 and 90 throughout the day Wednesday. Forecasters say motorists should be prepared for slick spots reduced visibility and slow travel.
Closer to the Atlantic coast, milder air will arrive, causing snow or a wintry mix to change to rain -- or all rain to fall south of Boston.
While some snowflakes are forecast to fly in New York City on Wednesday morning, warmer air surging northward along the Eastern Seaboard will change the snow to rain. Should this transition happen early enough, the city may once again endure another storm without any accumulating snow.
In the Big Apple, the longest streak of days without 0.1 of an inch of snow or greater was 332, a streak that ended on Dec. 15, 2020. Through Sunday, Jan. 22, the city had gone 319 days without measurable snowfall, tying the third-longest snow drought of all time there.
Consecutive days without measurable snow in New York City as of Jan. 22, 2023.
AccuWeather meteorologists say it appears likely that the milder air moving into the Northeast throughout the storm could cause the precipitation to change to a wintry mix and rain for many other locations as well.
From Philadelphia southwestward to Washington, D.C., there may be enough of a mild push to limit concerns of winter precipitation to the northern and western suburbs while the cities receive rain.
The cold air associated with the storm is set to swoop into the I-95 corridor by Thursday. However, by this time, the storm and most of its precipitation are likely to shift over northern New England, minimizing the chances of snowflakes. During the day on Thursday, the most difficult travel is likely to be confined to northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, including parts of interstates 87, 89, 91 and 93.
Even with the heaviest snow in New England, the storm will continue to be impactful farther west on Thursday.
Gusty winds following behind the storm will continue to rush over the Great Lakes, allowing snow showers to linger from Michigan and northern Indiana to the Appalachians of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. Additional substantial accumulation is not likely in most locations, although areas immediately downwind of Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Superior could get a fresh coating of snow and some new slick spots.
The cold air left in the wake of this midweek storm may open the door for more snow opportunities in the final days of January.
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