The Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston metro areas are bracing for a potentially powerful nor’easter this weekend that could dump significant snow for millions across the Interstate 95 corridor, as well as other parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
However, much of the forecast remains uncertain.
“While some snow appears to be the most likely outcome, all scenarios remain on the table, from a complete miss that tracks out to sea, to a major Nor’easter,” the FOX Forecast Center said Thursday.
Forecasters are tracking a storm that is moving along the coast of British Columbia in Canada and will eject into the Lower 48 sometime Thursday night — part of a series of storms moving out of the West this week.
These systems will bring rounds of nuisance rain into the Northeast as they track into the region through the end of the workweek, ahead of the potential nor’easter.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, as the system that originated out of Canada reaches the East Coast, it is expected to track offshore, potentially becoming a powerful coastal storm sometime Sunday.
While both traditional computer and AI forecast models indicate that a coastal system will develop, there is no consensus on where, or how strong, that system will be.
However, several AI forecast models are signaling a powerful snow event Sunday night into Monday.
A number of factors would need to line up to produce blockbuster impacts, namely a slow and precise track along the northeast coast and enough cold air from Canada.
Snow totals will be limited if any one of these forecast ingredients is missing.
The biggest uncertainties are how quickly the storm will strengthen as it heads into the Great Lakes and exactly where it emerges off the East Coast.
While the forecast is far from settled, many across the region are bracing for the latest blow in what has been the most active winter season in recent years.
Many cities across the Northeast still have snow on the ground from January’s historic winter storm.
The forecast will come into better focus as the weekend approaches.