WeatherFanatics: Spotty Icy Travel to Affect Interior Northeast

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Spotty Icy Travel to Affect Interior Northeast

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

December 4,2014; 8:47PM,EST

Another round of ice and some snow over the interior Northeast may slow down some early weekend travelers.
An icy mix was affecting parts of central Illinois, central Indiana and southern Ohio on Thursday. Motorists should be alert for slippery spots around Indianapolis, Cincinnati and other cities and rural areas in the region through early Thursday night.
The zone of spotty ice will shift farther to the east by the end of the week.
While this icy mix will not be as extensive or as long-lasting in most areas as that of this past Tuesday and Tuesday night, it can affect parts of Pennsylvania, New York state and part of New England with slippery travel.
A light mix of rain and sleet will develop Thursday night into Friday morning in part of the Maryland Panhandle, the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and northwestern Virginia. Near-freezing temperatures in this area can make for icy patches on Interstate-68 and I-70.

During the day Friday, spotty rain and sleet are likely to develop in the I-80 and I-99 corridors of Pennsylvania.

This area will then expand and lift northward Friday evening into early Saturday morning and can affect portions of the New York Thruway, I-81, the Massachusetts Turnpike and I-91, while transitioning to a mixture of wet snow and ice.
The rain from northwestern Virginia to interior New England can freeze on colder, elevated surfaces, especially on untreated bridges and overpasses. Areas that do not receive warmth from the direct rays of the sun could also be icy, such as gaps in the mountains and heavily wooded areas.
Just like the event from Tuesday, mostly rain will fall in the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to New York City and Boston.
Roads in most northern and western suburbs from Washington, D.C., to New York City will be wet as well. However, some roads in parts of northern Connecticut, central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire may be slippery Saturday morning, since cold air may linger a while longer in this area.
Before the rain arrives in the Northeast, it will bring the risk for travel disruptions and flooding across the Plains and Ohio Valley.
RELATED:
Interactive Radar
AccuWeather.com Forecast Maps
AccuWeather.com Winter Weather Center
Additional wintry mix events are possible into next week in parts of the Northeast as the pattern of weak, brief pushes of cold air continue to sneak in. One scenario develops a major winter storm in part of New England Tuesday into Wednesday. Other scenarios take this storm out to sea or have the atmosphere too warm for snow in part of this area. More information will follow on AccuWeather.com during the next several days.
Otherwise, widespread and long-lasting arctic air is forecast to avoid the United States through at least the middle of December and possibly longer.

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