DEVELOPING: Major Snowstorm May Threaten DC To NYC Friday Into Saturday

“This thing definitely does have the potential to put down a foot or 2 feet of snow somewhere.”Houk said a dip in the jet stream hovering over the middle of the country will allow the storm to intensify during the day on Thursday, pulling moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico and then mixing with moisture from the Atlantic Ocean”. The storm could shut down highways and perhaps cause airports to close. If you have travel plans to Washington, D.C. or Baltimore for Friday, I would cancel them unless you are staying there for a few days.

This is also the type of storm that is likely to produce a very heavy rate of snow.

According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, “Should the storm continue northeastward, rather than turn more to the east at the last minute, New York City, Boston, Providence, Rhode Island and Hartford, Connecticut, would also be buried in snow”.

In the swath of heaviest snow, motorists who venture out during the storm could become stranded.

Nonetheless, driving conditions are likely to be treacherous during the storm from northern DE to New York City, and speed restrictions are likely along the New Jersey Turnpike. Some coastal locations could witness thunder and lightning along with the heavy snowfall.

As the storm strengthens near the coast, winds will increase, and blowing and drifting of snow will occur.

High winds of up to 60 miles per hour are expected with this storm which will likely topple trees and power lines, causing power outages for many waiting out the storm indoors.

There’s already a lot of buzz about this weekend and the potential for the first significant winter storm of the season for the mid-Atlantic and/or New England area. The tides are astronomically high this weekend, although the Saturday evening high tide around 11 p.m.is a foot lower than the one Sunday morning just after 11 a.m. Both of these could bring trouble. But that’s all about to change as Winter Storm Jonas is set to pummel the region with a massive blast of snow and high winds. By Thursday night or Friday, snow or a rain/snow mix may impact parts of the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, Appalachians and potentially the Mid-Atlantic. The GFS, European, Canadian and UKMet models are all showing a storm off the New England coast by Saturday.

The exact track of this low as it progresses up the coast will be the key as to whether the precipitation along the I-95 corridor remains as all snow, or whether we see a changeover to sleet, freezing rain or rain. A more northerly track would push the heaviest snow across the central and northern Appalachians.

The snow will be north of there, stretching from Kentucky and southern OH over to Virginia and Maryland.