R U Ready Freddie?

More and more signs are pointing toward a major storm along much of the Atlantic Seaboard next week, meaning a wind-whipped snow for some areas and wind-driven rain for others.

The storm could rank right up there with the Christmas Weekend Blizzard and could hit part of the same area, or different areas farther inland. No matter what, it looks like a "big deal."

In the worst-case scenario, which may not be that far on the extreme end with this storm, an all-out blizzard may hit some inland areas, while a period of strong onshore winds could lead to coastal flooding.

If some places get heavy rain on top of the thick blanket of snow on the ground, everything from urban flooding to roof collapses could occur.

The key for what the weather will be is the exact track of the storm.

A track along or just inland of the coast would bring rain over the eastern Carolinas and even a wintry mix into the I-95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic. This track would dump heavy snow, perhaps on the order of 1 to 2 feet, over the Appalachians. Snowfall rates would be intense with perhaps 1 to 3 inches per hour.

A track just off the coast would bring the heaviest snow to the I-95 cities and the beaches, as we have seen before, thus sparing the Appalachians the worst.

It is also possible the storm could swing out off the southern Atlantic coast, then hook back in over the Northeast with a more complex precipitation pattern.

No matter which way the storm tracks, it looks like trouble for the Atlantic Seaboard next week.

The best guess at this point looks like a mostly rain event for our area, with daytime temps in the upper 30's to low 40's.

But you know the drill.  Be ready for anything. 

Accuweather