We saw some very decent snows in the last 48 hours from Amarillo through Dallas to Little Rock. More is coming with the next (bigger) system to some of the same areas before taking aim at northern Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas Tuesday and Wednesday. Very cold air continues to rule the north with Minneapolis this morning recording it’s 40th night below 0 and 15th straight. If they get another 5, they tie the 81-82 top 10 list for most nights below 0.

While a streak of snow moves out of the Ohio Valley into the Northeast, a reinforcing shot of arctic air comes south and may push tonight’s low to -15 in the Twin Cities, perhaps -10 in Chicago tomorrow night.

The Northeast can expect a coating to perhaps 3 or 4 inches tonight through tomorrow, higher amounts possible from NYC north where some intensification of the system may occur once it interacts with the Atlantic.

Here’s AccuWeather’s snow projections.

The ECMWF shows the moisture pushing through but with low enough thicknesses, you can’t rule out slightly higher amounts.

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Behind that system it gets very cold all the way to the Atlantic. Wouldn’t surprise me if we see lows drop below 10 again from Philly up to Boston.

Once again the ECMWF goes to the extreme with -20s from central Illinois to Ohio, -15 central PA close to 0 NYC. OVERDONE!

As that system kicks offshore and cold air rushes in, we have a bigger developing system over Texas and Oklahoma which is likely to be a troublemaker as it pulls Gulf moisture north over top of south bound arctic air. You can see it developing later tomorrow.

By 60 hours or 12z Monday we have some very cold air positioned over the Plains into the Ohio Valley while deep moisture is gathering across the South as you can see. Expect a band of snow, freezing rain and rain to develop along the boundary draped from central Texas to central Alabama.

As of 90 hours, a lot of moisture is over the Carolinas as a coastal low tries to develop while very cold air begins to wrap around the western side of the low. This could bring a sizeable snow event to north Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas but ice may also be a big deal while it rains further south nearer to the coast.

114 or 18z Thursday with coastal low pushes north throwing plenty of moisture into some very cold, arctic air over land and this is the recipe for some pretty big interior snows from the interior Mid-Atlantic (western VA, WV) up through the heart of Pa into New England. As for the I-95. This appears to be a 2-4 inch situation but perhaps 8-14 inches further west.

By Friday that systems has left the playing field and a ‘clipper-like’ system pushes through the Midwest while a more significant system pushes through the Northwest.

On Saturday that system spreads snow through the Northeast perhaps dropping another coating to 1-2 inches.

As for snowfall, the ECMWF is very bullish from the Southeast to Northeast this week. Probably overdone.

Here’s the snow the model has for system 1 tonight and tomorrow. Northeast picks up coating to 3 inches but cold air in place could squeeze out bigger totals.

Things get interesting with the developing second system which really gets it’s act together in the South and Southeast along the sagging arctic boundary.

How much snow in east-central Georgia and South Carolina? Yes, it says 12 inches.

As the system lifts north with a deepening offshore low, the model has big snows all the way to New England.

Note it has a large area of the interior over 12 inches. Of course the model will come and go over the next 24 hours with this probably.

As impressive as that may be, take a look at projected snow cover by the end of next weekend…

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