Late-week storm threatens Northeast with season's first snow, will pave way for major split in US temperatures
There still remains uncertainty surrounding this storm, including the exact track, snowfall amounts and coastal winds.
First snow of the season on the table for the Northeast
There is a possibility that a snowstorm could hit the Northeast before the end of the week. While there is uncertainty surrounding this system, the Northeast mountains have the best shot at accumulating snow. Stick with FOX Weather as this system continues to develop.
A significant change to the nation's weather is taking shape late this week, with colder air expected to spill into the eastern United States with warmer weather building across the West.
The shift in temperatures is setting the state for a developing system that could bring rain, snow and gusty winds off the coast from Thursday through Saturday. This will pave the way for a big temperature drop across the East.
A strong ridge is building over the western United States and is helping colder Canadian air to punch south into the Northeast, while warmer air builds in the West. This provides a lift and upper-level energy needed to support a strengthening area of low pressure, setting the state for the late-week storm.
Instead of this being the typical El Niño pattern, this is the polar jet stream making an appearance. The dip in the polar jet stream will allow for the storm to initially originate somewhere from the Great Lakes to the Tennessee-Ohio Valley. If this were the El Niño pattern, the system would come from the south or along the East Coast.
There still remains uncertainty surrounding this storm, including the exact track, snowfall amounts and coastal winds.
A track closer to the coast could bring strong winds and significant coastal impacts, while a more inland track could change where the heaviest rain and snow falls.
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According to the FOX Forecast Center, what is known is the low-pressure system is expected to develop across the Ohio Valley later this week, and move toward the Mid-Atlantic by Friday.
"Temperatures will turn noticeably colder beginning Friday, with the cooler pattern likely continuing through next weekend."
The storm is developing with an unusually early disruption of the polar vortex, which is not a direct cause of this storm.
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A split in temperatures trailing behind
Beginning late Friday, cold air from Canada will spread across the eastern United States.
High temperatures could remain in the 30s or 40s across the Northeast, Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, with lows plummeting into the 20s.
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Along with that, there is a possibility that this cold air could reach the Gulf Coast and Florida by Sunday.
"To give an idea of how big the swing could be, on Tuesday over 300 million Americans will be above average and only a little over 4 million Americans will be below average," according to the FOX Forecast Center reports. "By Saturday, that number exceeds 160 million Americans below average and likely even higher into Sunday."
A person walks in freezing cold temperatures. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP / Getty Images)
While the eastern United States is under a cold spell, the west will experience warmer and drier conditions.
Cities from California to the Great Basin and desert Southwest could see temperatures 10-20 degrees above average.
Stick with FOX Weather as this storm continues to develop.