As we track the ongoing winter storm in the Midwestern United States bringing the potential for blizzard conditions through Friday (read more here), this system will also bring rain and snow to the northeastern United States. As this low pressure system moves over the Great Lakes, we may see some lake effect snow on the backside through the weekend. But first, we have to get through the warm air that will bring rain along the front.

Forecast

As we head into Friday morning, the frontal boundary extending off of our surface low pressure system moves into the Ohio Valley and over the Great Lakes into states like Michigan, Ohio and even extending into the southern United States, but here we will focus on the northwest. Friday morning, surface temperatures remain above freezing from Ohio through West Virginia and Kentucky so we will start by seeing rain.

By Friday afternoon, northern Michigan is cold enough to see snow but heavy to moderate rain is still expected to fall across Ohio and southbound along the front.

Friday evening, some get cold enough to mix in some wet snowflakes as temperatures drop from Cleveland through Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania and into the southern Appalachians. Note how wrapping around the low there are still some spotty snowshowers where the much colder and northern air is wrapping around.

Friday night, the surface low is over northern Michigan and Lake effect snow picks up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Snow along the occluded front fills into central Pennsylvania too. Whereas the east coast is greeted by heavy rain along the I-95 corridor.

Early Saturday morning, frontal snow continues to push into New York and Pennsylvania and into the higher elevations of Vermont. Heavy downpours still expected in the warm sector along the east coast, especially through southern New England.

Saturday, more snow comes in throughout the daytime hours into northern New England.

Late Saturday and into Sunday behind the low pressure system this is when we start to see the northwesterly winds that bring the lake effect set-up.

Accumulations

The east coast is likely to remain as rain with this front moving through but some of our higher snowfall totals could get up to half a foot of snow plus! Check out the latest forecast accumulation for the northeast.

Winter Weather Alerts

Winter Storm Watches have been issued for late Friday through Sunday morning for upstate New York where we could see heavy snow move in. Snowfall accumulations may possibly get up to 7″+ and wind gusts up to 35 mph by Saturday.

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