Winter has a way of announcing itself long before the calendar admits it, and this week the announcement arrives in the form of a dip in the high-altitude jet stream that pulls frigid air across much of the eastern United States. From the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast, temperatures are expected to fall well below their seasonal norms, and the people who live beneath that shift will feel it in their routines before they can name it. Whether the cold brings the first snow of the season depends on a storm still taking shape, one whose path and strength remain genuinely unsettled, so the regio
First Snow of the Season Expected in Northeast as Cold Snap Sweeps Eastern U.S.
The cold is the more certain part of the forecast; the snow is still being worked out.
Mark
Why is this cold snap getting attention beyond the snow question?
Mimi
Because of its reach. The cold covers the eastern half of the country, from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast, with temperatures 20 to 25 degrees below average. Atlanta and Chicago are both expected to have near or below freezing feels-like temperatures overnight.
Luke
Worth noting that's a forecast, not an observation. The report gives ranges and says 'expected' throughout.
Mark
And the snow? Who gets it?
Mimi
Interior and higher-elevation areas are the best bet: upstate New York, New Hampshire, Vermont. New York City, Philadelphia and Washington are more likely to see cold rain.
Luke
'More likely' is doing work there. The report itself says there is uncertainty over how much will fall and where it will hit hardest.
Mark
What's the wild card?
Mimi
A second, smaller storm that could form off the main system near the Mid-Atlantic and affect coastal areas up to New England.
Luke
And that one is a 'could.' Its path decides the outcome, and the report doesn't say how likely it is to form at all.
Mark
So what can a reader count on?
Mimi
A sharp drop in temperatures starting Wednesday and lasting through the weekend. The snow details are still being sorted out.
Luke
Agreed. The cold is the firmer claim; the snow totals are not yet known.
The Pulse
- A jet stream dip is set to drop temperatures 20 to 25 degrees below average across the eastern half of the country starting Wednesday.
- Overnight lows near or below freezing in major cities like Chicago and Atlanta are catching the season off guard.
- Forecasters are racing to pin down a developing storm whose track will decide where snow falls and where cold rain takes its place.
- Upstate New York, New Hampshire and Vermont look most likely to see their first flakes, while I-95 cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington brace for rain.
- A second, smaller storm may spin up off the Mid-Atlantic coast, and its path remains the big unknown for coastal communities.
Winter has a way of announcing itself long before the calendar admits it, and this week the announcement arrives in the form of a dip in the high-altitude jet stream that pulls frigid air across much of the eastern United States. From the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast, temperatures are expected to fall well below their seasonal norms, and the people who live beneath that shift will feel it in their routines before they can name it. Whether the cold brings the first snow of the season depends on a storm still taking shape, one whose path and strength remain genuinely unsettled, so the region is left to wait and see what the sky decides to deliver.
A large dip in the jet stream is about to send cold air sweeping across the eastern half of the United States, beginning Wednesday. The chill is forecast to hold through the end of the week, reaching from the Canadian border down to the Gulf Coast, with temperatures running 20 to 25 degrees below normal for this time of year. In major cities, including Chicago and Atlanta, overnight feels-like temperatures could dip to or below freezing, and daytime highs through the weekend will struggle to climb past the 40s.
The possibility of the season's first snow rides on a separate storm that is expected to form over the Midwest, strengthen, and move toward the Northeast before the week ends. Forecasters are candid that how much snow falls, and where, remains uncertain.
Not everyone should expect white. Cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are more likely to get cold rain, while higher ground in upstate New York, New Hampshire and Vermont holds the better chance for snow. A second, smaller storm may then form off the Mid-Atlantic coast, and its track will determine which coastal areas see snow, rain, or a mix of both.
A large dip in the jet stream is set to pull cold air across the eastern half of the United States beginning Wednesday, and with it comes the possibility of the first snow of the season in parts of the Northeast. The cold is expected to hold through the end of the week, stretching from the Canadian border down to the Gulf Coast.
The numbers are significant. Temperatures across the affected area are forecast to run between 20 and 25 degrees below average for this time of year. Overnight, the feels-like temperature is expected to sit near or below freezing in major cities, Chicago and Atlanta among them. Daytime highs from Thursday through the weekend will reach only the mid-30s and the 40s.
The snow itself depends on a separate system. A storm is forecast to develop over the Midwest on Wednesday, strengthen, and move toward the Northeast before the week is out. That system could help bring the season's first flakes, though forecasters acknowledge real uncertainty about how much snow will fall and which parts of the region will see the most.
Not everyone in the Northeast should expect snow. Some of the storm's moisture will fall as cold rain, and that is the likely outcome in cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The I-95 corridor is expected to see warmer temperatures over the weekend, which works against accumulation along the urban coast.
The better chance for snow lies at higher elevations and in the interior Northeast. Upstate New York, New Hampshire and Vermont are the places named as most likely to see their first snowfall of the season.
The forecast has another moving piece. The main storm is expected to push away from land once it reaches the Mid-Atlantic. From there, a second, smaller storm could potentially form off that system and affect coastal areas from the Mid-Atlantic up through New England. Its track is the open question: where it goes will determine how much snow or rain falls along the coast and exactly which locations are affected.
For now, the cold is the more certain part of the forecast, and the snow is the part still being worked out. The thing to watch is the path of that second storm, which will decide whether coastal communities see rain, snow, or a mix.
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