Dangerous ice and slippery snow will affect travel in the Northeast on Christmas Eve

A storm will bring just enough wintry precipitation to cause travel difficulties ahead of Christmas Day from the Great Lakes and the Northeast, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., AccuWeather meteorologists warn.

A band of heavy snow will move along the region’s northern plains, but a smaller amount of snow and an icy mix will fall further south. Travel risks and delays are likely on the roads, while airline delays are increasing due to de-icing work at travel hubs from the Great Lakes to the Interstate 95 corridor in the Northeast.

The impending snow (and ice) will follow the coldest morning in two years on Monday for much of central Appalachia and the Mid-Atlantic, as well as eastern New England since early February 2023. While temperatures won’t drop too much Monday evening, it will be cold enough that frozen and freezing precipitation could cause problems.

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In the central Appalachians and around the eastern Great Lakes, it won’t be long before many untreated roads become slippery Monday afternoon and evening. A total of 1 to 3 inches of snow will fall from western and northern Pennsylvania to much of New York state through Tuesday. However, a heavier band of snow of 3 to 6 inches is forecast for northern New York and northern New England, with pockets of 6 to 12 inches in the Adirondack, Green and White Mountains.

While snow brings a fresh layer of natural powder to skiers in the region just in time for Christmas, motorists driving through the central and northern Appalachians and the eastern Great Lakes should be prepared for slippery rides Monday night into Tuesday morning. This includes large stretches of Interstates 70, 76, 80, 81, 86, 87, 88, 89 and 90.

As the storm’s moisture reaches the coast, some of it will decrease. However, even a small amount of snow and/or ice can create slippery and dangerous conditions on roads and sidewalks when the temperature drops to near freezing.

Around Washington, DC and Baltimore, occasional light wintry confusion or freezing rain may occur for just a few hours during the morning hours, including rush hour on Tuesday.

Further north along I-95, a wintry mix with layers of up to an inch is forecast around the same time of day in Philadelphia, where there will be more snow than sleet or freezing rain at times.

Snow will begin falling around New York City late Monday evening north and west of the city. Snow is likely to fall shortly after dawn and continue in varying degrees of intensity until mid-morning. A layer thickness of up to an inch is expected, with the majority of this being on unpaved areas, particularly in the north and west of the city. Most roads will be wet after the treatment during the midday hours.

In Boston, periods of snow are expected to begin late Monday evening and continue into the midday hours of Tuesday. Accumulations of up to an inch are possible. As in New York City, streets should be mostly wet during the midday hours following the city’s treatment. However, if more snow falls in the hilly areas outside the city, roads may remain slippery until the storm subsides in the afternoon.

Following the storm, the weather will be relatively calm and good for travel from the eastern Great Lakes to the Northeast during the evening hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. No significant lake snowfall is expected to occur following the storm. However, any areas that are still wet at the end of the day on Tuesday may become icy by Tuesday evening unless treated.

A strong storm will bring driving rain and locally severe thunderstorms to parts of the southern United States on Christmas Day. The latest signs indicate that while some rain and winter precipitation will move north into a portion of the Upper Midwest, it may be patchy and light.

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