An impressive winter storm will finally wind down by early Tuesday morning, but not before creating a few more travel headaches across along the Appalachian Spine and Mid-Atlantic. Very cold weather will also be part of the weather headlines along the Gulf Coast through midweek.
The final part of a prolonged, dangerous winter storm kicking off 2025 will exit the Mid-Atlantic beaches by early Tuesday morning. Light to moderate snow and a possible icy mix along the far southern fringe of the storm will race offshore, but not before squeezing out an additional coating to 4 inches of snow and a glaze of ice accretion from far southeastern Ohio to southern New Jersey, the Delmarva Peninsula and northern and western North Carolina.
Widespread Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories stretch from far southeastern Ohio and far eastern Kentucky to southern New Jersey, the Delmarva Peninsula, much of Virginia, and northern and western North Carolina through early Tuesday morning. Cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Morgantown, Beckley, and Charleston, W. Va., Pikeville, Ky., Jackson, Ohio, Boone, N.C., Richmond, Alexandria, and Roanoke, Va., Atlantic City, N.J., and Wilmington and Dover, Del., are included.
Dangerous, snow and ice-covered roadways will persist throughout tonight, especially across parts of the Mid-Atlantic to the higher terrain in northern and western North Carolina. This includes Interstates 64, 68, 69, 70, 81, and 95. Slow improvement is expected on Tuesday. If you cannot avoid travel, make sure and allow plenty of distance and time between you and the next motorist to arrive at your destination safely.
The winter storm has been a big snow and ice-maker so far. In and surrounding Manhattan and Topeka, Kan., numerous measured snowfall amounts of 12 to 18 inches occurred. The Kansas City, Mo., metro area is digging out of nearly a foot of new snow, while the St. Louis metro area received 5 to 9 inches. Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Fredericksburg, Va., to Annapolis, Md., and Georgetown, Del., also hit the jackpot with 5 to 12 inches of snow blanketing the ground.
Meanwhile, power-disrupting ice accumulation were part of the norm, especially in southeastern Missouri, eastern Kentucky, and southwestern to west-central Virginia. This is where up to one-half to locally near three quarters of an inch of ice caked tree branches and powerlines, leading to outages. Ice accumulation of one-half inch was reported in Timberlake, Va., while Round Spring, Mo., picked up 0.63 inches of ice.
The storm’s hasty departure will leave plenty of cold in its wake. This time, cold, Arctic air will spread all of the way to the Gulf Coast from Texas to western and northern Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Cold Weather Advisories and Freeze Warnings remain in effect here. Sub-freezing overnight lows and very cold wind chills in the teens to lower and middle 20s will be commonplace. San Antonio to Austin and Houston, Texas, New Orleans, Biloxi, Miss., Mobile, Ala., Pensacola, Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Orlando, are a few bigger-named cities that are included.
It’s never too early to prepare for inclement weather. Simply having an emergency kit equipped with a weather radio, extra batteries, non-perishable food, water, clean clothes and blankets will go a long way in keeping your family safe, warm and protected.