Forecast Map Shows Which East Coast States Should Face Heavy Snow This Weekend
Another winter storm is on its way to hit the East Coast this weekend, bringing more snow to states still reeling from Winter Storm Fern. The latest forecast map from the National Weather Service shows which regions are likely to have the most impact.
The NWS released the map Wednesday morning, saying confidence has increased because of “impactful” snowfall—especially across the Carolinas and southern Virginia—since Friday night. Coastal states from Georgia to Maine have at least a 5% chance of moderate snow between Saturday and Monday, which could cause travel disruptions and exacerbate power outages from last weekend’s storm.
This can create a dangerous situation for anyone who cannot heat their home. Many homes across the Southeast rely on electric heat, and as of Wednesday morning, more than 150,000 customers in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky remained without power.
Another arctic blast
The storm’s arrival will coincide with another arctic blast expected to move up over the Plains, across the Great Lakes, and eastward from Friday into Saturday.
The NWS expects this cold air to break daily low temperature records in the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast through the weekend. Gale force winds generated by the storm system may also send air-chilling temperatures below zero.
Dangerous temperatures continue in the eastern part of the country. In some places this can be a long cold period of several decades. pic.twitter.com/02yJmeWrIc
– NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 27, 2026
“This can be so [the] the longest cold spell in decades, the NWS said on Tuesday.
Wind storms can also reduce visibility in snowy areas, creating hazardous driving conditions, according to the NWS. Along the mid-Atlantic coast, onshore winds and high tides may lead to coastal flooding and dangerous waves.
An uncertain prediction
Meteorologists are tracking this system as it moves towards the East Coast. As of Wednesday, both the strength and path of this storm remain uncertain, with several scenarios that could lead to a variety of impacts.
“Weather changes are expected as the system approaches,” the NWS said.
Some forecasts say there is an increasing chance that the storm could quickly strengthen into a bomb cyclone, which occurs when the mid-latitude air pressure drops by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. Bomb storms are more dangerous than your average winter storm because they can produce strong winds and heavy rain.
“Wednesday morning, the forecast was slowly changing to a result that included a strong storm developing off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday, before becoming a bomb cyclone and passing through eastern New England from Sunday into Monday,” reported meteorologist Ben Noll in the Washington Post.
Most confident conditions will see snow expand from West Virginia to Tennessee on Friday before spreading into Georgia and the Carolinas on Saturday, with accumulations of several inches, according to Noll. As the storm rapidly intensifies on Saturday, much of the East Coast can expect sustained winds of 30 to 50 miles per hour (48 to 80 kilometers per hour), with gusts of up to 80 mph (129 kph) on the Outer Banks.
From Saturday through Sunday, snowfall should extend north along the coast from Virginia to Maine, with significant accumulation and possible blizzard-like conditions in southeastern New England, Noll reported.
All of this remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the East Coast won’t be getting a break from the harsh winter weather anytime soon. Cold temperatures are expected to continue through the first week of February as the inverted polar vortex continues to send Arctic air south. Meteorologists are urging those within the system’s proposed path to actively monitor their local forecast and prepare for another round of severe storm impacts.
