New York City Could See Biggest Snowstorm in Years

A cold winter storm could bring substantial snow to New York City for the first time in nearly two years this weekend.

The storm is moving eastward from the Pacific this week before meteorologists expect it to impact the southern Plains, bring up to 10 inches of snow to northern New Mexico and then continue its trek eastward where it will become the first "widespread significant winter storm" of the season, and the first in years for some parts of the Northeast, according to an AccuWeather forecast.

New York City and other Interstate 95 corridor cities like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., have seen limited snowfall since the 2022 winter season. New York City hasn't received an inch of snow from a single snowstorm since February 13, 2022, AccuWeather reported.

Philadelphia has gone even longer without receiving at least an inch from one storm. Its last substantial snowstorm was on January 28, 2022. Washington, D.C., also has lacked snowfall. Its last measurable snowfall was when nearly 1 inch of snow fell on March 12, 2022.

Newsweek reached out to AccuWeather by email for comment.

Average snow totals for New York City from October through December are 5.5 inches but only picked up trace amounts in 2023. Pittsburgh typically sees 10.5 inches during the same period but only picked up 1.7 inches in 2023.

New York City only received 2.3 inches in all of 2023, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) office there to call it the "least snowiness" year. Prior to 2023, the least amount of snow in New York City for a year occurred in 1913, with 3.4 inches.

AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said that the storm will produce "accumulating snow" during the day on Sunday for much of the mid-Atlantic and New England regions. However, the amount of snow that falls is dependent on the track and strength of storm. Given the tendency for storms approaching from the south to pull warm air from the Atlantic Ocean, it's possible that the incoming storm will do the same and produce a wintry mix rather than snow.

"There is a chance that accumulating snow can fall all the way to the Atlantic coast in the Northeast, depending on if chilly air holds its ground to the north and the storm takes a track slightly more to the southeast, rather than right along the coast," Buckingham said.

The AccuWeather report warned that the worst conditions are expected Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning, when up to 12 inches of snow could accumulate across the Northeast region.

Meanwhile, the same storm is sparking warnings for motorists in states like New Mexico as it moves across the region. The storm is anticipated to dump up to 10 inches of snow on New Mexico by the end of this week.