New Year's storm to spread snow, rain from Midwest to Northeast
A storm traveling from the northern Plains to the Midwest and Northeast into midweek will spread a swath of accumulating snow in some areas and rain in others, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The storm will affect travel along the way and may thoroughly soak revelers waiting outdoors for in New York City.
The storm will track across the north-central United States into Tuesday night and across the Northeast from Tuesday night to Wednesday.
Mild Pacific air in front of the storm will result in mostly rain from St. Louis to Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. As the storm progresses, just enough colder air will sneak in on the backside to allow snow to mix in or a complete change to a period of snow at the tail end along part of the Interstate 70 corridor.
 |
Periods of rain and wet snow are in store for Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit into Tuesday evening, which could make travel slippery for revelers, especially in the suburbs of these Midwest cities.
As the storm progresses across the Northeast states from Tuesday night to Wednesday, rain will fall from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts, as well as over the central Appalachians and mountains in southern New England. There will be some thunderstorms south of the storm track as well.
 |
"We expect rain to move into midtown Manhattan sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve and continue into the early morning hours on Wednesday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus said. "The rain will be heavy at times, and people standing in Times Square will get soaked during the evening."
Actual temperatures will be near 50 F at midnight, but AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures may be close to 40 when the wind blows during the rain. Thunder and lightning can accompany the rain on New Year's Eve in New York City.
 |
Just enough cold air will sweep in on the back side of the storm to change the rain to snow in parts of the central and northern Appalachians, and then a period of lake-effect snow will quickly follow around the Great Lakes.
The amount of snow that falls on the central and northern Appalachians from Tuesday night to Wednesday will depend on the elevation. The valleys and low elevations may receive little to no accumulation. However, a quick coating of snow is possible during any snow shower or brief snow squall.
 |
In areas higher up, starting from about 1,500 feet, accumulations will trend upward from 1-6 inches with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches over the ridges and peaks from the Adirondacks to the Green and White Mountains, including the Presidential Range in northern New England.
Roads that extend through the high ground, such as portions of Interstates 70, 80, 84 and 89, are most likely to become snow covered and slippery.
 |
Very blustery conditions are in store for much of the zone from Ohio to the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts on Wednesday. Gusts of 40-50 mph are likely, which can toss trash cans, recycling bins and holiday decorations. Some sporadic power outages cannot be ruled out as well.
Lake-effect snow will ramp up in the wake of the midweek storm and is forecast to continue into the weekend as progressively colder air moves in. From Tuesday night to Thursday, portions of northern Michigan and the zone from northeastern Ohio to western New York and just east of Lake Ontario in northern New York may pick up 3-6 inches. More lake-effect snow will fall and become locally heavy later in the week to the weekend.
The air will turn progressively colder behind the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day storm in the Midwest and Northeast. As the pattern evolves to bring some of the coldest air in years to parts of the Central and Southern states, storms with snow and ice may proceed with each new surge of cold air into the middle of the month.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
