In the days leading up to Christmas, a major snowstorm could develop in the central and eastern United States with the potential to complicate holiday travel.
A “potential blockbuster system” is increasingly likely to hit before Christmas, AccuWeather forecasters saidHigh confidence forecasts for Christmas Day are just days away.
The storm is expected to coincide with a blast of arctic air forecast to drop temperatures to “bone-chilling levels,” according to AccuWeather. The National Weather Service is predicting below-average temperatures in the days leading up to Christmas for much of the country, including the East Coast, South and Midwest, as Arctic air moves toward the Midwest and Ohio.
Weather and Climate:
Snow forecast for the days leading up to Christmas
From December 22 to 24, snow may extend from the Southern Plains into the interior of the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast states. According to AccuWeather. Snow, falling temperatures and strong winds will lead to slippery travel conditions from the lower Mississippi Valley into the Midwest and Northeast states.
“This storm will intensify, feeding a very sharp contrast between arctic air coming from the central states and relatively warm air across the southeastern United States.” said John Porter, chief meteorologist at Aquaweather.
Forecasters will have a clearer picture of the storm’s path and where the heaviest snow will be as Christmas approaches.
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Nor’easter dumps heavy snow in Maine
Meanwhile, a nor’easter could dump up to two feet of snow in parts of Maine on Saturday.
Winter weather warnings remain in effect for parts of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York through Saturday, which could see hazardous travel conditions and scattered power outages, the National Weather Service said.
The wintry weather was part of a powerful storm system that lasted a week. On Friday, more than 5 million people in the northeastern United States faced winter storm warnings, while blizzard conditions battered the upper Midwest.
Contact Correspondent Christine Fernando [email protected] Or follow her on Twitter @christinetfern.
