The heavily traveled northeastern portion of the Interstate 95 corridor is expected to experience a significant bout of snow as a winter storm strengthens along the coastline.
The FOX Forecast Center is monitoring the potential for a widespread area of 1-3 inches of snow to start falling on Sunday evening from Washington, D.C. to Boston, with 5-8″ amounts expected to the north and west of Interstate 95.
Due to the expected snowfall in combination with dangerously cold air, the governor of New Jersey has issued a state of emergency and told residents to be ready to brace for below-zero wind chills.
“Following this weekend’s snow, we are expecting extreme cold with wind chills reaching -10° or below. Dangerously cold conditions are expected to persist through most of next week. Please limit your time outdoors and keep your pets inside as much as possible,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement on Saturday.
Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, schools, banks, and other services that would normally be in session on Monday have the day off, which will help keep roads clear for snow removal crews.
More than 30 million residents from the Appalachians to the Northeast are under some type of winter weather alert, which includes Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
Depending on how much snow falls, the system could produce the largest accumulations of the season for a region that has otherwise seen significant snowfall deficits.
Philadelphia sits at around 5″ of snowfall below normal, with New York City closer to half a foot behind what typically accumulates during the first half of winter.
Included in the zone of sleet and snow is the nation’s capital, where accumulations could reach 1-3 inches before the start of the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday.
The president-elect’s team said due to concerns over brutally cold air following the precipitation, most major inaugural events will take place indoors, which is a break from long-standing tradition.
Agencies around Washington, D.C. had been preparing for months for outdoor events, including a parade and the swearing-in ceremony.
The high temperature is expected to reach the mid 20s on Monday, which will plummet to near zero by Wednesday evening as the full scope of the Arctic air mass entrenches itself over the eastern two-thirds of the nation.
In all, more than 300 million people are expected to see below average temperatures as the coldest air of the season invades the nation.
Due to the threat of hypothermia, many communities from the U.S.-Canadian border to Florida plan to open warming centers so that those without shelter will have a temporary housing option.
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