Groundhog Day Storm May Affect More Than 100 Million People

A large winter storm forecast to unfold could adversely affect more than 100 million people next week from the Rockies to the Plains, South, Midwest and Northeast, if it develops to its full potential.

The latest indications continue to point toward a large storm forming amidst a building temperature contrast over the middle of the nation. Precipitation and strong cold air/warm air circulation around that storm will affect many millions of people from the interior West to the Atlantic Coast as next week progresses.

We are calling this system the Groundhog Day storm, and it will likely severely impact ground travel, and lead to canceled flights, school delays and closures. The storm is not only a concern for Wednesday, but for much of the week as the system moves along.

Depending on the storm's configuration as it heads to the eastern half of the nation, a zone of heavy snow and ice may form from parts of the Ohio Valley to the mid-South and mid-Atlantic.

Depending on the track of the storm and how quickly it re-forms along the Atlantic Coast, heavy snow could blast part of the Great Lakes and much of the Northeast.

Some benefits from the storm would be more needed rain in the Deep South, moisture for the southern Plains, and the stirring out of fog over parts of the interior West.

How nasty the storm gets and the primary form of precipitation for the Northeast, Midwest, interior South, and Plains depend on the exact track of the storm, still days away.

We will be watching.

Accuweather