Much of the central and eastern U.S. is set to receive another blast of snow and wintry weather early this week, bringing potential travel hazards and power outages.
Following weekend snow in the Northeast, nearly 200 million Americans are in the path of two storms that will sweep east from Tuesday through Thursday after developing in the Plains on Monday.
"The first storm from Monday night to Wednesday night will occur as cold air expands farther south and meets up with moisture spreading north from the Gulf," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus said in a statement.
“This can lead to accumulating snow that may impact millions from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic states and southern New England, with the potential for significant travel impacts across the big cities in the region from late Tuesday into Tuesday night,” he cautioned.
The forecasting company said that the first storm would bring precipitation over parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas by late Monday, but would quickly reach the East Coast by Tuesday.
Ahead of the storms, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation on Sunday.
"Kansans have faced challenges due to winter storms this year," she said. "The key to meeting those challenges is to be prepared. As I did during past storms, I urge all Kansans to take measures to make sure their families are ready by making a home emergency kit and emergency plan."
Snow is expected over parts of the northern Plains and Rockies on Monday before it shifts to the mid-Mississippi Valley by Monday night. Meanwhile, the Southern Plains will be drenched by showers and thunderstorms.
Moisture from the Gulf moving over the Plains will produce light snow over the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, as well.
By Tuesday night, temperatures in the Plains and Rockies will drop to between 25 and 40 degrees below average.
Showers will also develop over that area and the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday, with flash flooding forecast, putting urban areas and roads at risk.
A winter storm exiting the Rockies on Tuesday will hit the Plains again into Wednesday, with as much as five inches of snow possible for central Kansas.
Snow and freezing rain will spread across the Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic, with heavy snow falling from eastern Kentucky through the I-95 corridor.
“Snowfall rates may reach 1 inch per hour and likely be heavy, wet snow, making isolated power outages possible. Travel will become extremely hazardous, especially during the Tuesday evening commute,” the National Weather Service warned.
From North Carolina into Virginia, more than a quarter of an inch of ice is likely, making roads slippery and weighing down trees and power lines.
By Wednesday, the majority of the early storm will move offshore from the mid-Atlantic.
The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley will feel impacts from the second storm, as it tracks northeastward through Thursday before exiting from New England.
That storm could potentially produce higher snow totals, FOX Weather said, with heavy snowfall looking likely from the Plains to New England.
The station noted that a third storm could affect weekend plans.
“The FOX Forecast Center said this relentless winter weather pattern could continue into next week, but it’s still too soon to know that for certain,” it said.
