Icy Mix of Snow, Sleet and Freezing Rain from Richmond to Boston on Sunday...Cold Pattern for Much of the Country...

The ice storm and cold in the West this past week is moving into eastward this weekend.  Over 3 inches of sleet and freezing rain fell in parts of northeastern Texas.  Up to a foot of snow was reported in the Ozarks of Arkansas and over a foot fell in parts of New Mexico with this storm on Thursday and Friday.  Heavy rain will fall across the Gulf Coast and parts of the Southeast on Sunday and Monday.  More icing is expected across the upper Mississippi River Valley to the Mid-Atlantic with Washington, DC expected 1 to 2 inches of sleet and snow before changing to rain after midnight Sunday night and early Monday morning.  Up to 1 inch of snow and sleet is forecast for Richmond, VA.  Two to 4 inches of snow can be expected in western Maryland and West Virginia.  In New York City, less than one inch is expected but this will be the first accumulating snow of the season here.  Very cold air will move into New York and the Northeast by Wednesday with a high near 31 and only in the upper 20s on Thursday and Friday.  In Dallas today, the Metro PCS Marathon was cancelled due to the ice and cold.  Highs in Dallas will only rise into the 20s today.  Another storm will move into California and the Great Basin this weekend with more snow in the mountains and across the central plains today into Sunday.  The West dries out with a large area of high pressure dominating most of the region by Monday while wet and icy weather occurs in the East. In the long-term across the Eastern US, the GFS and Euro models are forecasting a potential coastal storm that could produce snow in the New York City metro area next Sunday and Monday.  But this is more than one week away and the forecast will likely change but it needs to be watched closely. 

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. George is also a meteorologist with ABC News and Cablevision News 12. Our website is WrightWeather.com.