The storm is expected to bring winter to the eastern United States for the first time later this week, with tens of millions of people experiencing the coldest temperatures in six months and the first snowfall for some.
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The nor’easter will shake up a period of relative calm in the Northeast and will be the first significant storm since the early-season nor’easter in September.
About 200 million people east of the Mississippi River will experience the coldest weather since spring as signs of winter move south from Canada after the storm.
The storm will develop over the Midwest on Wednesday and gradually strengthen as it moves east. As a result, rough and severe weather is expected from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and along the Northeast coast later in the week.
High-elevation areas of the interior Northeast could see the first snow of fall, and the Great Lakes will also have lake-effect snow machines in operation for the first time since spring.
Not all impacts are determined. Questions remain about how much snow and rain will affect the Northeast and New England, and forecast models still disagree on the strength and speed of the storm.
Wet snow is likely in the mountains through the south-central Appalachians and south of the Northeast Interior, especially Thursday night into Friday.
Most low-lying areas, including the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to Boston, will experience cold rain. Rain may mix with snow in the interior northeast valleys.
The highest areas of northern New England and upstate New York could see snow ranging from powder to several inches. Snow is most likely to stick to the ground during the coldest nighttime hours.
This most likely outcome can change in two ways depending on the speed of the storm.
Early storms mean less exposure to cold air and less snow buildup. The effects are likely to be short-lived, with most of the rain and snow ending by Saturday morning.
However, the slow speed of the storm moving along the coast means snow could linger into Saturday. If that happens, there may be a slight increase in snowfall.
Both storm trajectories could produce strong winds and some coastal flooding in the Northeast, but they will not be as intense or widespread as the September nor’easter.
Storms, whether fast, slow or somewhere in between, will bring wet weather to parts of the Midwest and Northeast, and cold air from the Far Eastern Plains to the Atlantic Coast.
Behind the storm, a short period of cold weather is certain to occur east of the Mississippi River. Temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit below average, making it the coldest in many areas since last spring.
Freezing temperatures are expected in parts of the Deep South Friday and Saturday night.
For some in the South, the first freeze could arrive on time, as many areas, including Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama, typically experience their first freeze in the first half of November.
Parts of central Florida, including Orlando, could see temperatures in the 40s for the first time since March.
The cold front is firmly established in the Midwest from Minnesota to Ohio, with temperatures not expected to rise above 40 degrees starting Thursday and continuing through the weekend.
This cold wave is not sustainable.
Above-normal temperatures are expected to return to much of the eastern half of the country next week. The mild temperatures may be a harbinger of what’s to come in a super El Niño winter.
