Northeast faces brutal Arctic air with snow, whiteouts, and dangerous wind chills

A direct surge of Arctic air

Arctic air is driving south out of eastern Canada and pressing into the northeastern quarter of the United States. The air mass arrives fast. The cold follows close behind. More than 100 million people stand in the path of one of the harshest cold spells of the winter.

The landscape offers little resistance to warming. Snow blankets wide areas. Lakes and rivers remain frozen. Only Lake Ontario remains largely ice free due to its depth. The air stays cold as it travels. The cold settles in.

Travel feels the strain. Flight delays and cancellations spread from the Midwest into the Northeast. Roads turn slick as slush freezes in place. The first half of the weekend carries the most severe conditions, with the strongest winds and the bulk of the snow.

Snow shifts from the Great Lakes to the Appalachians

Snow develops first near the Great Lakes and then pivots toward the Appalachians on Friday. Accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are expected on the west facing slopes of the mountains and in parts of the Great Lakes region. The early snowfall may begin near the freezing mark. Then the Arctic front surges in. Snow turns drier. Slush hardens. Pavement locks up.

East of the Appalachians, totals drop off across the mid Atlantic. Some communities will see only brief snow showers before the sky clears and the wind rises. The cold remains.

In New England, a band of enhanced snow may form as the storm sharpens along the Arctic front near the Atlantic coast. Accumulations could reach 1 inch or more on Saturday. AccuWeather Chief On Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, “It is possible there is a narrow zone where 4 to 5 inches of snow falls over southern and central New England on Saturday."

City by city, the cold tightens its grip

In Detroit, MI, bursts of snow arrive late Thursday night and continue into Friday midday. Morning temperatures near 35 degrees Fahrenheit drop through the 20s and into the teens. Slush freezes solid. Commutes slow. By Saturday morning, temperatures fall into the single digits. Saturday afternoon recovers only to the mid teens. The cold returns again at night.

In New York City, NY, snow begins Friday evening and lingers into early Saturday. Temperatures hold in the 20s Friday night, then slip into the teens during the day Saturday even as sunshine returns. Saturday night brings single digits. Sunday night does the same. The city lowest reading so far this winter reached 9 degrees. Forecasts point lower for Sunday and Monday mornings.

In Boston, MA, snow waits until late Friday night. Saturday turns wintry with changing intensity of snowfall. Afternoon temperatures drop into the teens. Night brings single digits. Sunday climbs back into the teens before sliding down again at night. Forecasts point to readings below the seasonal low mark of 5 degrees Fahrenheit by Monday morning.

Winds drive RealFeel temperatures to dangerous levels

The Arctic front brings more than cold air. North northwest winds gust between 35 and 55 miles per hour. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said, “Not only will the air temperature plummet after the Arctic front moves through, but north northwest winds with gusts of 35 to 55 miles per hour will also occur, resulting in AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures falling to dangerously low levels."

Actual temperatures drop into the single digits and below zero across much of the Northeast. Rayno said, “For those in the Midwest, this will be a glancing blow. It will not bring the lowest temperatures of the winter. This is not so for the Northeast. This is a direct blast of frigid air."

Exposure risks rise. Frostbite. Hypothermia. Outdoor workers, skiers, riders, and anyone spending time outside face a narrow margin of safety.

Freeze up after the snow

Wet snow falls first. Pavement darkens. Then the Arctic air arrives. The water locks in place. The freeze up spreads. Side streets glaze. Highways harden. Even brief snow showers leave behind ice.

Sunday offers some relief in wind during the afternoon. The sun sits low in February. It brings light, not warmth. As evening arrives under clear skies, temperatures fall again. The cold tightens.

Power outages linger to the south

Farther south, tens of thousands of customers in Tennessee and Mississippi remain without power after an ice storm nearly two weeks earlier. This Arctic blast does not push deep into the southern states and stays north of the Florida Peninsula, which was recently hit by damaging freezes.