Travel nightmare unfolds as first Nor'easter of La Niña winter season slams East Coast with rain, ice and snow
FILE-A runner braves the extreme cold near the frozen Mississippi River during Arctic Blast in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images)
Millions of Americans are waking up to their first big snow of the season, as a powerful nor'easter is bringing some combination of rain, ice and snow to parts of the East Coast, including the densely populated northeast portion of Interstate 95 corridor, which could potentially compound travel headaches that resulted from the storm that slammed the Midwest this weekend, as this La Niña winter season gets underway.
A fast-moving area of low pressure has moved out of the Southeast and up along the East Coast early Tuesday morning.
According to the Fox Forecast Center, some computer forecast models are drawing an extremely sharp boundary between rain and snow, which is currently expected to set up just inland of I-95.
So far today, there have been over 2,900 flight delays with more than 140 cancellations.
Pennsylvania State Police tells FOX Weather that between 4:30am and 9:30am troopers have responded to more than 280 motor vehicle crashes and approximately 300 disabled motorists.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency beginning at 5:00 A.M. ET on Tuesday due to the significant impacts expected from the storm.
SNOW, SLEET, FREEZING RAIN AND HAIL: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
While temperatures will likely be too warm for snow along the coast, periods of heavy rain Tuesday could cause travel delays at airports in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Newark, New Jersey, New York City and Boston.
Nor'easter to bring rain, snow and ice to East Coast beginning late Monday night. (FOX Weather)
LA NIÑA OFFICIALLY ARRIVES. HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS FOR WINTER IN THE US
The most consistent part of the forecast continues to be for inland areas from the Ohio Valley into interior New England.
Winter Storm Watches have been posted for parts of central and upstate New York, western Massachusetts, southern Vermont, southern New Hampshire and southern Maine, while Winter Storm Alerts are in effect from the Ohio Valley up to Maine.
Forecast airport delays. (FOX Weather)
A mix of moisture and cold air is expected to bring 1–3 inches of snow across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York and much of New England, while middle New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are expected to see 5–8 inches.
WINTER STORM WARNING EXPLAINED
The effects of the snow will be amplified across higher elevations, including parts of the Adirondacks, Green and White mountain ranges through Wednesday morning.
Expected snowfall. (FOX Weather)
Meanwhile, where exactly the rain-snow line sets up could have significant impacts on drivers. Anywhere between a coating and 0.25 of an inch of ice is forecast for roads in the Appalachians, particularly in West Virginia and Virginia.
Higher elevations in Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, New York's Mid-Hudson Valley and Connecticut could also see ice accumulating.
Expected ice accumulation. (FOX Weather)
However, small accumulations, even a quarter of an inch of ice, can be extremely dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike.
THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF ICE STORMS
Farther south, icy conditions are forecast for the mountains of western North Carolina, where many communities are still recovering from devastating Hurricane Helene in 2024.
This low-pressure system is expected to maintain its speed and clear out by Wednesday morning.
Another round of even colder arctic air is expected to reach the East Coast by Thursday, which could create slick roads during the morning rush.
The presence of a La Niña pattern historically tends to bring more frequent nor'easters along the Eastern Seaboard, which saw several coastal storms this past fall.
WHAT ARE EL NINO AND LA NINA CLIMATE PATTERNS?
NOAA indicated that the U.S. may shift back to neutral conditions around the start of January.