Wintry Mess Possible for Midwest, Northeast After New Year's Holiday

Brian Donegan
Published: December 30,2016
Once all the New Year's festivities are over, a wintry mess of snow, sleet and freezing rain is lining up for parts of the Plains, Midwest and Northeast during the first few days of 2017.
(MORE: Winter Storm Central)
The general setup involves a flow of moist, above-freezing air initially riding over below-freezing air near the surface in the Northeast and Midwest.

Weather Setup Sunday Night

Secondly, while still uncertain this far out in time, an area of low pressure may intensify and track from the High Plains east of the Rockies toward the Great Lakes states, pumping more warm air ahead of it, but generating potentially significant snow and wind to its west and northwest.
Let's break down this complex forecast day by day. Since this is still far out in time, changes to this forecast may be necessary in the coming days.
(MAPS: Weekly Planner)

Sunday-Sunday Night

• Rain develops across the Ohio Valley and Midwest during the day Sunday.
• As a warm front slides northward Sunday night, precipitation will spread farther north into parts of the Great Lakes region and eastward to the coast.
• Colder air trapped near the surface may cause the precipitation to fall in the form of freezing rain, sleet or even snow in spots generally along and north of Interstate 80, from northern New Jersey into Nebraska.
• This may lead to slick roadways if untreated, Sunday night.

(MORE: New Year's Outlook)

Sunday Night's Forecast

Monday-Monday Night

• Precipitation spreads a bit farther north Monday into the northern Great Lakes, upper Midwest and New York state.
• Mainly snow is expected in the northern Plains, whle snow, sleet or freezing rain is expected from southeastern Nebraska to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
• Sleet or freezing rain is expected from northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey into eastern New York and, by Monday night, parts of New England.
• Mainly rain is expected elsewhere in the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, southern Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic states.
• Slippery travel is again possible on any untreated surfaces.

(MORE: Five Reasons Why Freezing Rain Really Is the Worst)

Monday's Forecast

Tuesday-Tuesday Night

• Sleet and freezing rain continue in portions of northern New England.
• Snow may be heavy over parts of the northern Plains, upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes.
• This could be accompanied by strong winds, leading to reduced visibility and blowing/drifting snow.
• Rain is expected across the rest of the Northeast and into the Ohio Valley.
• Heavy lake-effect snow may develop by Tuesday night across the upper Great Lakes, possibly spreading into the lower Great Lakes snowbelts Wednesday or Wednesday night.

(MORE: January's Cold Reality Sets In Next Week)

Tuesday's Forecast

This forecast is tricky and subject to revisions over the next several days. Be sure to check back with weather.com for updates.

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