Major computer models disagree on this prediction, but some have suggested that another major snowstorm could occur in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Drivers collide over snow parking space, causing fierce competition
Parking spaces are scarce due to a snowstorm, and drivers fight for free spaces and clash over space-saving strategies.
It could head toward the ocean, or it could turn into a “major” blizzard later this weekend on the East Coast.
As of the afternoon of February 17, top computer models were still sifting through weather data to determine the direction and strength of the storm, which was still several days off the East Coast. At this time, the models are not matched.
The National Weather Service said in an online forecast discussion posted at 2:29 p.m. ET on Feb. 17 that “while there is a high degree of confidence in the storm’s formation, its timing, path, and exact…weather impacts remain highly uncertain.”
The Bureau of Meteorology said the latest weather models for Europe show a “further southerly track with little or no precipitation from the mid-Atlantic to the northeast.” But another model, the European AI model known as EC-AIFS, “consistently shows a fairly classic nor’easter setting in the region.”
Grand Slam “Big Hit Blizzard?”
One of the forecasters, Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue, said in an email to USA TODAY that the possibility of a major Northeast event with the potential for “heavy snow” appears to be increasing.
“It’s likely that a large storm will develop out of the southeastern United States and move out off the mid-Atlantic coast and either (1) head east to the ocean or (2) nestle nicely off the coast of New England,” Maue said, resulting in snow along I-95.
He said the model should be agreed by February 18. “This system is in the five-to-six day window, so it should have a pretty predictable path until tomorrow (February 18), which means it can either trap the snowstorm or push it out to sea,” he said, adding that he supports AI models showing an East Coast or Eastern snowstorm.
AccuWeather Forecast
“A storm lurking Sunday (February 22nd) through Monday (February 23rd) could bring heavy snow to widespread areas of the northeastern United States, including New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
“Storms are still forming off the coast of British Columbia in the eastern Pacific Ocean and could bring additional snow to parts of the Northeast later this weekend,” Sosnowski continued in the online forecast.
stay tuned
The National Weather Service’s mid-afternoon forecast concluded, “There is increasing confidence that it will become a coastal low by Sunday into early Monday, and if it does, it could bring heavy rain and inland snow to the coast from the mid-Atlantic to New England, with strong winds near the coast and the potential for coastal flooding.”
“Details on the strength and path of this cyclone are still unknown, but stay tuned for future updates on this phenomenon as it will directly impact inland precipitation and precipitation intensity.”
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, specializing in weather and climate.
