In the upcoming week, not one, not two, but three rounds of snow will target the northern tier of the United States, maintaining the conditions for snow that were present in December.
The December-like cold will continue to set
As not one, not two, but three rounds of snow target portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast in the upcoming week, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that wintry conditions are here to stay in the northern United States.
The eastern half of the country experienced quite the shock at the end of last week when a rush of colder air swept through.
From last week through the weekend, temperatures dropped steadily in places like Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland's Thursday high was 70, and by Sunday, the city's high had only risen to 39.
The Eastern Seaboard received a blast of chilly air over the weekend. Sunday's high in Washington, D.C., was only in the 50s after reaching a high of the lower 70s on Saturday.
Due to the temperature swing of almost 20 degrees, it went from being significantly above normal to below normal in just one day.
Philadelphia, which hit 72 on Saturday, only reached a high of 48 on Monday, a change of 24 degrees.
As a result of two storm systems that will bring wintry weather to the interior Northeast and Great Lakes, the cold air has created the ideal conditions for snow to fall.
In Minnesota on Monday, there were 322 car accidents between 6 a.m. and noon due to intermittent snowfall.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, 11 a.m. Later, at around 4 p.m. in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a school bus collided with another vehicle, resulting in one fatality. Monday.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker, the same storms that caused snow across the Plains on Monday will move east and bring with them a patch of accumulating snow from Michigan and Indiana to Maine.
On Tuesday morning, snow is expected to start falling across Michigan and into Ohio. By Tuesday afternoon, snow is expected to fall across some of Pennsylvania.
Up until Wednesday, snow is predicted to move into New England from the north.
In locations further south, precipitation may begin as rain before combining with snow and changing to that form.
From Michigan and northern Pennsylvania up into southern Quebec and Maine, including in cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan; Syracuse, New York; and Bangor, Maine, a broad swath of 1-3 inches of snow is predicted.
The coldest air will settle over northern New England, and there will likely be more snowfall there and downwind of the Great Lakes.
Large portions of central and northern Pennsylvania, significant portions of New York, and spots in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont have already received winter weather advisories for Tuesday. Even for Wednesday, northern Maine has issued winter weather watches.
Parts of New York, northern Vermont, northern New Hampshire, and central Maine could see 6 to 12 inches of snow, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 16 inches possible by the time the snow winds down late Wednesday night. It's likely that the higher terrain's roads will be icy and snow-covered.
Outside of the higher elevations, grassy, unpaved surfaces are where snow is most likely to accumulate. However, even a light dusting of snow on sidewalks and roads can make them slick.
Read more: Incoming Storm Could Bring Severe Weather, Snowstorm, and Blizzard in the United States Next Week
20 states in the path of a snowstorm with frigid temperatures
Western Oklahoma, where up to a half foot of snow is possible, is expected to receive the heaviest snowfall in the central United States, according to the National Weather Service, as per USA Today.
The region is expected to experience its first significant wintry event of the season, the weather service warned. "Reduced visibility leading to hazardous driving conditions will be a concern," it added.
The northern Plains, which were buried by a blizzard last week, will not experience snowfall in areas that are already weary of it.
The weather service predicted that rain will fall by Tuesday and into Wednesday along the coasts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, while mixed precipitation and snow are expected further inland across Pennsylvania and interior New England.
Just days after the city experienced record warmth of close to 70 degrees, forecasters said that a few snowflakes may even fall in the far northern suburbs of New York City.
The storm is expected to dump up to a foot of snow in northern New England, which is good news for the area's ski resorts.
As the first significant lake-effect snow event of the year intensifies by the end of the week, snow is also anticipated to fall close to the Great Lakes.
The weather service in Buffalo, New York, issued a warning that "there is a potential for significant lake-effect snow later this week and into the weekend."
Where to go when it's warm
Fans of warm weather are out of luck because the majority of the United States is expected to experience cold weather for at least the next week to 10 days, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
According to the weather service, high temperatures will likely be 10 to 20 degrees below average throughout the week.
In fact, the Weather Channel predicts that below-average temperatures will be experienced by about 275 million Americans this week.
Only South Florida is expected to escape the cold snap, according to forecasters, who expect low 80s for the upcoming few days.
Related article: Blast of Snowstorm and Strong Winds to Hit the Northern United States This Week