While not a blockbuster storm, an upcoming nor'easter will bring the season's first snowflakes to portions of the eastern U.S. by the end of the week, forecasters said.
"The best chances of accumulating snow stretch from the mountains of northern New England to upstate New York and the Appalachians," said Weather.com meteorologist Rob Shackelford in an online forecast.
This snow would be the "first of the season" in many of these areas, he added.
In addition, lake-effect snow will fly around the Great Lakes over the next few days, forecasters said.
Another big story, along with the snow, will be the cold air. Chilly air expanding from the Midwest and Northeast will bring the lowest temperatures of the season so far to much of the eastern United
States, AccuWeather said.
According to a map from NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, low temperatures by Saturday, Nov. 14 will dip into the 20s and 30s across much of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River, with the exception of central and southern Florida.
The frost and freeze risk will extend from northeastern Texas to near northern Florida and the Interstate 95 corridor of the Carolinas.
Great Lakes
While not directly due to the nor'easter, lake-effect snow will fly in the Great Lakes region over the next few days. "Surface temperatures will be coldest over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where multi-banded snow on northerly winds will likely accumulate several inches Thursday (Nov. 12) into early Friday (Nov. 13) (and beyond)," NOAA's Weather Prediction Center said in an online forecast discussion.
"An extended period of lake-effect snow is expected for Wednesday night (Nov. 11) into Saturday morning (Nov. 14)," the National Weather Service in Marquette, Michigan, said. "The most impactful periods look to be during the overnight hours, especially Thursday night (Nov. 12)."
3-6 inches of snow could fall across portions of Michigan, the weather service said.
In addition, northerly flow down the long axis of Lake Michigan could spur a robust lake band of rain/snow into northwestern Indiana Thursday evening (Nov. 12) into early Friday (Nov. 13) the WPC said. "Though temperatures are marginal, the potential exists for a narrow area of modest wet snow overnight if rates are sufficiently high."
New York/New England
In Buffalo, where lake-effect snow can sometimes turn into a disastrous event, this storm appears to be very minor: "While the weather will be chilly and unsettled Thursday (Nov. 12) through Saturday (Nov. 14), latest data suggests minimal winter weather impacts through the period," the weather service in Buffalo said.
Farther east, there is a 60-80% probability of a light to moderate wet snow accumulation across the higher terrain of the northern Adirondacks and central and northern Green Mountains in Vermont late Thursday through Friday (Nov. 12-13), the weather service in Burlington, Vermont, said.
"The combination of precipitation on the northern/northwestern side of the exiting Mid-Atlantic system andincoming modestly cold air from the west-northwest will lead to periods of light to modest snow over especially the higher terrain of the Adirondacks into the Green and White Mountains in Vermont/New Hampshire," the WPC added.
The probability of at least 4 inches of snow is greater than 50% above about 3,500 feet, the WPC said. Minor impacts are likely.
Mid-Atlantic/Appalachians
Confidence is increasing in accumulating snowfall in the West Virginia mountains this Friday (Nov. 13) and Saturday (Nov. 14), the weather service in Pittsburgh said.
In West Virginia, "several inches of accumulating snow" over the higher elevations of the mountains is likely, the weather service in Charleston, West Virginia, said.
Parts of the southern Appalachians could also pick up accumulating snow by the week’s end, forecasters said. Accumulations should be on the light side, with 1 inch a common expected total in the mountains that form the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. One high-elevation spot in North Carolina (Newfound Gap) could see as much as 5 inches, the weather service said.
"Temperatures turn cold enough for a threat of snow, mainly across the higher elevations along the Tennessee border," the weather service in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, said, adding that a winter weather advisory may be needed for that area.
Frost/freezes in the South
By late this week and into the weekend, the growing season will likely come to an end across much of the Southeast as sub-freezing temperatures are expected, AccuWeather said.
"The concern is how long temperatures stay below freezing, especially where readings fall into the 20s," said AccuWeather expert meteorologist Tyler Roys, in an email to USA TODAY. "Several hours of that cold can damage sensitive crops and bring the growing season to an end in some communities."
Nighttime temperatures in Texas to northern Florida and the Interstate 95 corridor of the Carolinas will generally fall into the lower to mid-30s, with colder locations dropping well into the 20s.
The coldest air will settle over the lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley Friday night (Nov. 13) into Saturday (Nov. 14) before shifting toward the southern Appalachians and Piedmont Saturday night into Sunday (Nov. 14-15), according to AccuWeather.
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter weather in the forecast. How cold and how much snow?
