Cities from New York to Boston could see a round of frozen precipitation during the final weekend before Christmas as an incoming weather system sets up the Interstate 95 corridor for a period of potentially slippery travel during what is estimated to be one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The leftovers of a fast-moving weather system coming out of Canada, known as an Alberta Clipper, will move into the Northeast by Friday afternoon, bringing some of the ingredients needed for measurable snowfall.
Meanwhile, a coastal low off the East Coast will bring additional energy spinning up off the Carolinas.
How these two systems interact could mean more or less snow for some.
Three inches would likely be the high total of snow that could be produced from this event for the I-95 corridor, with the potential for a lot less, according to FOX Weather meteorologist Jordan Overton.
“You sometimes get what’s called an East Coast energy transfer, where you get the energy from the clipper system that almost gets absorbed into this East Coast storm as this thing rolls up the coastline,” FOX Weather meteorologist Michael Estime said.
If there is any accumulating snow, it would likely happen overnight from Friday into Saturday, when temperatures are the coldest.
Boston, Providence in Rhode Island, and Bridgeport in Connecticut could receive between 1 and 3 inches of snow, but New York City is less likely to experience snow.
However, don’t yet count the Big Apple out for snow.
FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar explained that the amount of snow New York sees depends on three ingredients.
“The timing of this is everything when you’re trying to get a system like this on the I-95 corridor. How much moisture are we going to have in play? Where does that low set up? Where’s the cold air? Those are the three ingredients,” Minar said.
Following the quick shot of snow, temperatures will plunge through early next week into the teens and single digits across the Northeast before rebounding for Christmas.
