A winter storm is forecast to undergo “explosive cyclogenesis” over the next couple of days, bringing a messy mix of rain, snow, wind and severe storms to much of the eastern U.S., forecasters said.
Cyclogenesis describes the formation of a cyclone or storm. “A fast-moving and rapidly strengthening storm will bring intense weather and dramatic weather changes to the eastern half of the nation, with the most extremes in store for the Northeast,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek said.
This system is expected to produce heavy snow over parts of the Ohio Valley and interior eastern U.S. beginning Friday night and continuing through Saturday, the National Weather Service said. “Heavy snow, gusty winds and severely reduced visibility will make for hazardous to difficult driving conditions and travel at times, particularly across the interior Northeast. The greatest accumulations, in excess of 12 inches, are likely across portions of the interior Northeast,” the Weather Service said.
More than 150 million people will face some type of impacts from the storm east of the Mississippi River, but the Northeast — which received accumulating snow on Wednesday on the heels of record-challenging warmth Monday — is likely to take the brunt of the impacts, AccuWeather said.
