Millions of Americans were braced for disruption this weekend as two East Coast storms threatened to dump up to 10 inches of snow in some areas, forecasters said.
New York and Philadelphia were expected to see snow on Friday night and into Saturday as a Nor’easter chilled the region, while a second system was due to arrive on Sunday night and linger through Monday morning's commute.
“This could be one of the biggest snowstorms so far this winter, which is not saying much,” said Michael Palmer, lead forecaster at the Weather Channel.
Accumulating snow is likely from the southern Appalachians to the lower Hudson Valley and into New England. Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City and Philadelphia could see up to three inches of snow, while Hartford, Connecticut, could see five inches. The highest totals were expected near Worcester, Mass., which could see between six and 10 inches.
“It won’t be a blockbuster but some areas are well below average for snowfall so far this season so there will be some catching up,” Palmer said.
The system has already dumped more than a foot of snow on the Texas Panhandle.
The second storm is weaker but is set to spread up to three inches of light snow over the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England on Sunday night and Monday morning, threatening the worst morning commute so far this winter.
“That could be a real issue, with snow packing the roads in many points,” Palmer said.
Meanwhile, the southern side of the winter weather was bringing severe thunderstorms and heavy rain for southern Alabama, southern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, leading to wet roads.
However, there was relief in sight with above-average temperatures forecast all the way from the Plains to the West Coast next week.
