The first significant lake-effect snow event of the season is currently affecting the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast, with heavy snowfall anticipated to last until Wednesday morning. There are concerns about road visibility and whiteout conditions in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland due to possible snow squalls. A snow band is being pushed over I-90 in upstate New York, especially in the Syracuse area, with several inches of snow expected. The typical snow belt areas downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario could see an additional 8 to 16 inches of snow, leading to storm totals of up to 40 inches in some areas.
This lake-effect snow is being produced by a cold air mass flowing over the relatively warm and ice-free Great Lakes, creating clouds and eventually snow. This cold air mass is the chilliest of the season, with single-digit temperatures and wind chills below zero recorded in the Upper Midwest and in Chicago. High temperatures are expected to be 10-20 degrees below average east of the Mississippi, with highs struggling to reach 40 for the big cities along the I-95 corridor. Fortunately, this cold blast of winter will only continue for the next two days before temperatures begin to moderate by the end of the week.
While the big cities along the I-95 corridor are not expected to experience accumulation, strong winds associated with the lake-effect snow could carry some flurries to the Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City metro areas. However, the cold stretch is not limited to the Midwest and Northeast, as temperatures are also expected to be unseasonably low in the Southeast, where highs will only reach the 50s for cities like Atlanta and Tallahassee.
