By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist
January 28,2015; 8:45PM,EST
The punches just keep coming from Old Man Winter as another storm with snow may sweep from the Midwest this weekend into the Northeast by Groundhog Day.
In the wake of the Blizzard of 2015 that hit Long Island and New England and a late-week Alberta Clipper storm for the Midwest and Northeast, two new systems will come together in such a way as to develop another storm this weekend.
Because the storm will have a strong southern component, it has the potential to tap into plenty of moisture from Pacific Ocean and later the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Precipitation amounts could be substantial with the storm as it moves along from the Central to Eastern states.
Enough snow and a wintry mix can occur around Kansas City, Missouri, to make for slippery travel on Saturday. Meanwhile, folks in Omaha, Nebraska, may have to break out the shovels and plows to handle a snow if the storm develops quickly enough.
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As the storm progresses eastward, people in St. Louis may be slipping and sliding on Sunday. Chicago could end up accumulating snow.
According to AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "Several inches of snow are possible in Chicago, depending on the track of the storm."
Multiple storms earlier during January have delivered 2-4 inches of snow to the Chicago metro area.
Abrams stated that there is a great deal of uncertainty this far out concerning the storm's intensity and track as it moves along farther east.
"If the two systems remain separate they will tend to compete with each other and precipitation amounts from the Midwest to the East will be light and sporadic. However, if the two completely join forces, there is the potential for heavy precipitation, some being snow, some being rain, some being a combination thereof," Abrams said.
The storm will have a wedge of warm air moving along its southern side. This warm air will be a player in the primary form of precipitation in the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians, mid-Atlantic and southern New England from later in the weekend into Groundhog Day, which is Monday, Feb. 2.
Cities along the path of the storm from Sunday to Monday that could receive a combination of snow, rain and perhaps some ice include Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.
A shift in the track to the south or north, due to cold air holding its ground or retreating, will determine what form of precipitation the bulk of the storm will bring. However, even if the storm mixes with or changes to rain from the Ohio Valley to southern New England, enough wintry precipitation can occur to make for a period of slippery travel and perhaps cause disruptions to daily activities.
One scenario even brings in so much colder air that it suppresses the storm and moisture well to the south. In such a case, snow may sweep eastward from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and southern New England.
All or mostly snow is favored at this time from moving eastward from Chicago to Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and Albany, New York, and Portland, Maine.
The strength of the storm as it moves along will determine the amount of not only precipitation, but also wind, blowing and drifting snow and any coastal flooding.
In the South, a period of rain and perhaps locally strong thunderstorms will sweep from west to east Sunday into Monday.
Another burst of cold air will sweep into the Midwest and Northeast following the storm next week.
Updates on this storm will continue on AccuWeather.com.
Peter Kane · Top Commenter
Aaron Ginther · Top Commenter · Lynchburg, Virginia
Dave Da Crazylegs · Works at We'll seeAre they using the European model for this snow event which was totally WRONG for the blizzard? Come on heavy wet snow for the NYC area. The blizzard only gave us powder, sure we had 8inches but still cleared it off everything with a leaf blower not a shovel. Bring on the SNOW!
Blake Daniels · Rider at Airush North AmericaI am praying for snow this winter has sucked so far! SE Wisconsin please snow 1foot!
Lug Nut Rider · Top CommenterSo happy I live in Tn, never Snow's here.......ya'll can keep that crap!
Eric Martin · Top Commenter · Works at Writer and Author of The Trading SocietyWill be interesting to see how this one plays out for Chicago. We are just a tad below normal on snowfall this year and almost 2/3 behind the snowfall from last year, where our 80 inches total didn't come from one storm but from a string of storms that consistently dropped 6-8" every few days, especially in the mid-January to the end of February time frame.
For us to get a decent snowfall the two system will have to phase together at the right time. Will be interested in which model comes the closest on their solution for this system-the Euro or the GFS specifically. Though I have noticed that for my area it was warning for 6-10 inches on Saturday night/Sunday and has now backed off to 4-8 inches. Still respectable and interesting to track how the forecast changes as we get closer.
(The storm that hit the East this week was supposed to bring us 2-4 inches this past Sunday but we wound up with less than an inch because the storm tracked further south than the models predicted as it got closer.)
Matthew White · Top CommenterI have a feeling thus is gonna miss southern Ontario like always, the U.S east coast is hogging all the snow.
Lawrence P. Bansbach · Top Commenter
Grant McGuire · Top Commenter · Western Connecticut State University- Eric Martin · Top Commenter · Works at Writer and Author of The Trading Society
Carla Connor · Top Commenter · Kindergarten Teacher at Howard County Public Schoolsyes us snow lovers in the Mid-Atlantic want one good storm...although I have gotten at least 6 inches this year in central MD, they are mainly from 1 -2 inch type of clippers..not complaining but I am hoping for one BIG one!
Samson StoneworkGotta love Bernie's enthusiasm for forecasting. Intriguing is right! Winter weather is just plain fun to follow. Who can't get excited for snowstorms? We just got 2' here in Maine and I'd love to see more.
Paul Downs · The Stickmen at Blueberry HillOh great Storms Combine just in the nick of time. Merging into a Blizard that will make the History books Shiver ! Mid Atlantic is Your aim millions and millions millions You shall Tame.
Rinei Cai · Works at Jefferson Medical Collegewhen will Philadelphia get a major snowstorm! It's always New York City and Boston that I keep hearing about... seems like this winter season is biased much! lol
Barry TollEPIIC BLIZZARD for NJ and NY yesterday was a HUGE dud and here they go again Do you really think anyone in NJ NY are going to believe this story HOGWASH ANOTHER HISTORIC WEATHERMANS HYPE.
Tommy Baranyi · Top Commenter · King at The Kingdom of Nowherecome on, bring the snow to new jersey. we totally missed out on the big blizzard this time, so let us have a nice, snowy monday to wake up to on february first, yea?
Amanda Lucas · Certified Nursing Assistant at Links 2 Care PediatricsWhy do they always skip over Pennsylvania? You hear them talk about Ohio and then right to N.Y....ummm..there is a state in between the two!
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