A large, slow-moving storm system is expected to deliver a massive area of snow and potentially damaging ice from the southern Plains to the Midwest and Northeast this week.
This storm has the potential to produce significant travel disruptions to ground and air transportation, Widespread power outages are also anticipated.
The track of this storm will be critical to the amount of snow and ice in a given area and also the timing of the transition from rain to ice and ice to snow.
Based upon the latest storm track forecast, AccuWeather meteorologists expect the heaviest snow to fall from Missouri to the lower Great Lakes region and up into northern New England.
Farther south and east, sleet and freezing rain is expected to be the dominant precipitation with the potential for a heavy accumulation of ice from northeast Texas through the Ohio Valley and into parts of the interior Northeast. There will likely be enough ice to snap tree limbs and damage power lines, which may result in extensive power outages. Untreated roads and sidewalks are expected to be covered in a layer of ice, making for dangerous travel.
Residents in the regions where we expect significant ice accumulations of over a half inch should make preparations for a loss of power, which may last for days in many areas. Also, in these areas there may also be a risk for freezing pipes, which may burst due to an extended loss of heat due to power outages.
In the warmer air to the south, rain and thunderstorms may lead to localized flooding across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley Wednesday into Thursday night.
By Thursday night and Friday, the rain may change to snow or ice across portions of the Northeast and Middle Atlantic region before it tapers off, which may lead to icy roads and sidewalks.
Originally appeared on: https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/groundhog-day-storm-to-spread-snow-ice-across-swath-of-us/1134554
