Meteorologists are closely observing a possible winter storm and a new blast of Arctic air along the East Coast. The storm may affect Valentine’s Day plans as it is predicted to impact the day in some areas.
The regions will witness mild conditions before the next wave of cold. The highs forecast has spiked in the range of 50s F along the Atlantic Seaboard. Over the Appalachians, temperatures touching the 30s and 40s have been predicted. Even though the expected cold may not lead to Arctic blasts that happened recently, the dramatic shift in temperature only worsens the wintry weather.
A storm could develop and strengthen as the weather gets colder. On Valentine’s Day, the storm could turn northward over the western Atlantic. Bernie Rayno, AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist, shared that it’s uncertain how far to the north the wintry precipitation will head. It’s also hard to tell how much snow will spread.
Different potential outcomes are still being analyzed as the snowfall depends on the storm’s precise track. Arctic air, led by a dip in the northern jet stream, may move from the northern tier of the Plains and Midwest to coastal New England and the western Gulf of Mexico. The cold air will possibly get progressively stronger due to the storm formation nearby. Hence, it is bound to stall and slow down the southern Atlantic coast.
An interruption in the southern jet stream, which will stay separate from the northern branch, will have to be observed in relation to the storm’s development.
Usually, air masses and storms move along a stable clip across the United States. However, the new pattern has been forecasted to spread northward near New England and the mid-Atlantic. Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist, states that “With enough separation in the two features, there is room for the southern feature to strengthen and allow a storm to track farther north than would occur in a typical progressive pattern.”
