Winter storms to pummel the Northeast this weekend

The system will be fast but fierce, delivering a punch across the central Great Plains overnight Saturday before moving out of the Northeast by Monday afternoon.

Some areas may see snowfall totals close to a foot.

In the Southeast, more heavy rain and severe storms are expected as areas continue to cope with extreme flooding.

More detailed forecast maps

The timing of the storm

Snow is expected to begin falling midday Sunday across the Ohio River Valley. The system will then quickly track toward the Northeast, with winter weather falling across New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts by early Sunday evening.

The snow will persist overnight, with a few showers expected to linger through Monday morning. The skies should start to clear by Monday evening.

Snow amounts for the Northeast

Parts of the Northeast are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, but coastal areas could miss out.

Places expected to see the deepest totals stretch from eastern Pennsylvania through Massachusetts. The National Weather Service is calling for 5 to 10 inches there, with locally larger totals possible.

The wintery weather may skip coastal regions altogether. The line between rain and snow is expected right along Interstate 95, making snowfall totals challenging to forecast for places such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington.

If the column of air remains cold enough, New York could see 3 to 6 inches, with closer to a foot in the northwestern suburbs.

March snowstorms can pack a punch

Temperatures across the Northeast will hover close to the freezing mark so that the snow will be more of the heavy, wet type.

This snow will be much harder to shovel than the powdery stuff, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers says, adding that this particular system has the potential to produce thundersnow across the Northeast.

Severe weather possible in the Southeast

The Storm Prediction Center has already issued a slight risk for severe weather Sunday stretching from eastern Louisiana to southwest Georgia. Wind is expected to be the greatest threat, but there is also the potential for a few tornadoes.

Meanwhile, more heavy rain is expected to fall across already saturated regions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Two to 4 inches of rain are likely, with many areas remaining under river flood warnings.

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