The disturbance is causing a second spot of low pressure to develop off the mid-Atlantic coast. This other low is expected to intensify as it moves north toward Cape Cod over the course of today but will likely stay just shy of bomb cyclone territory, says Ashton Robinson Cook, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Prediction Center.
The storm in the central and northern Plains will spread over to the Midwest and Great Lakes regions over the weekend with "widespread heavy snowfall and hazardous travel conditions," the National Weather Services (NWS) said on Saturday. Winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect from South Dakota to portions of Ohio with the storm already dropping up to 8 inches of snow in some places since Thursday, according to the NWS.
Millions of Thanksgiving travelers could see their journey home turn into a nightmare as a massive winter storm blankets half the US with snow for several days. New forecast models have revealed that 23 states are in the path of a fast-moving winter storm bringing widespread blizzard conditions to the Midwest, followed by a prolonged lake-effect snow system around the Great Lakes and Northeast. The storm has been building in the Central US since Wednesday and meteorologists have warned the worst is expected to last from today until Sunday, with more than a dozen states seeing snow continue until early next week. This winter blast could dump several inches to three feet of snow in certain states, making post-Thanksgiving travel dangerous, causing slick roads, whiteouts, and hours-long airport delays from Black Friday until at least Tuesday.
A midweek winter storm targets the Sierra Wednesday night through Friday with strong southwest winds, high initial snow levels that trend lower, and dense-to-fair quality snow favoring higher elevations. Mammoth leads with 14″-21″ through Saturday, while the Tahoe crest and adjacent high country collect roughly 6″-17″ with the bulk Thursday night; Friday afternoon into Saturday turns quieter, a weak wave may brush the range Sunday, and a cool, active pattern is favored to return next week.