This coming weekend, yet another blast of icy air from the polar vortex is set to sweep into the central and northeastern United States. The combination of this frigid air with incoming moisture could lead to the season’s first major snowstorm along Interstate 95, likely making its way across the country.
Forecast models suggest that snow will start moving into the Midwest by Saturday, reaching the Northeast by Sunday. Still, there’s a good amount of uncertainty surrounding the snowfall predictions, so anyone in these regions should stay updated on any changes as the week unfolds.
The FOX Prediction Center indicates that the polar vortex’s circulation might weaken later this week, which could allow even colder air to settle over the Midwest and Northeast.
Interestingly, New England has just seen record-low temperatures as recently as Tuesday.
To explain briefly, a polar vortex is a large-scale area of persistent low pressure and cold air situated near the poles, about 16 to 30 miles above the Earth. A robust polar vortex typically keeps the coldest air trapped above the Arctic Circle. When it weakens, this frigid air can plunge down into the lower atmosphere and dip into the Pacific jet stream, directing cold air from Canada into the contiguous United States.
If sufficient cold air slips into the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, we could witness optimal conditions for a swift-moving storm system currently anticipated to be moving eastward from the Pacific Northwest.
However, this storm will also need a fresh flow of moisture from the south to generate significant snowfall.
Provided that everything aligns correctly, a low-pressure system could develop along the coast this weekend, raising the chances of heavy snow across the Northeast, including major metro areas like Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.
This would indeed mark the first substantial snowfall along that stretch of I-95.
That said, if any of these critical elements are absent, the expected snow amounts could be much lower.
This upcoming storm aligns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) earlier long-term forecast which highlighted a lively beginning to the meteorological winter, partly attributed to the La Niña weather phenomenon.
