Potential nor’easter could bring rain, snow later this week

Key Points:

• A potential nor’easter could impact the Northeast and Great Lakes late this week into the weekend, bringing a mix of snow, rain, gusty winds, and early frost or freezes for millions.
• A significant cold air plunge is expected, causing daytime highs to drop by 20 degrees from Wednesday to Friday across a wide area from Chicago to Atlanta, with lows reaching the 30s even in the Florida Panhandle by the weekend.
• A low-pressure system will develop over the Midwest by Wednesday and strengthen as it moves into the Ohio Valley, bringing rainfall from Georgia to Michigan, with a second low forming off the Eastern Seaboard Thursday night that may produce rain and wet snow in the interior Northeast.
• Forecast uncertainty remains for Friday into the weekend, with some models showing the low close to the coast causing strong winds, coastal flooding, and heavier precipitation, while others place it farther offshore with lighter impacts; the best snow accumulation chances are in northern New England, upstate New York, and the Appalachians.
• This event could bring the first snow of the season to some areas, including lake-effect snow bands near the Great Lakes, but major metropolitan areas along the I-95 corridor are not expected to see snow due to temperatures remaining above freezing.