The Northeast warmed up on Tuesday from below zero temperatures a day earlier, but a storm packing snow as well as freezing rain was moving in Wednesday and behind it was another cold front.
The National Weather Service was calling the approaching storm a quick-hitter, dropping from six to 12 inches of snow from Hartford to near Boston beginning Wednesday afternoon, said meteorologist Alan Dunham.
A winter storm warning was issued for Boston and other parts of New England. "Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are possible from 9 p.m. Wednesday until 5 a.m. Thursday," the weather service said.
The Washington, D.C., area also was under a warning, which runs from 7 a.m. ET to midnight ET. The "heaviest snow will be from early afternoon through early evening Wednesday," the service said.
Before the snow, however, will be freezing rain Wednesday morning from northern Virginia to southern New Jersey and southern Pennsylvania, The Weather Channel predicted.
The Weather Channel posted these snow predictions for overnight Wednesday:
- New York City: 5-8 inches;
- Boston, 6-10 inches;
- Washington, D.C.: 5-8 inches;
- Philadelphia: 6-10 inches;
- Providence, R.I.: 6-10 inches;
- Portland, Maine: 6-10 inches;
- Nashville, Tenn.: 1-3 inches.
In Tennessee, winter storm watches and warnings were also issued ahead of the latest storm system tracking up over the Eastern states.
Rain in Tennessee was predicted to change to snow later on Tuesday, said Sam Herron, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
By Sunday, the Northeast should see temperatures again dipping to below zero.
"Another bitter cold snap coming in less than a week could rival the current one with more subzero temperatures," wrote AccuWeather.com meteorologist Heather Buchman.
