Travel & RV Weather Extended Outlook updated p.m. Wednesday 19 January

Extended outlooks are more general in nature than the daily short term forecasts. Beyond a week, there is often significant uncertainty in the location and intensity of specific weather events. I will note where there is less, or greater, confidence than normal in these extended outlooks.

Don’t miss a forecast update! Sign up to get the latest forecasts and outlooks delivered to your inbox daily!

For more information, check out the latest weather animations.

Here is the latest short term weather forecast.

Full-on Winter for the East the next 10-15 days.
- Traveling between the Northeast and South will likely require at least one night of camping in the teens (or colder). Pick your weather window carefully.
- Friday travel on I-95 in the Carolinas will likely be very difficult.
Arctic surges move into the East, Southeast and Gulf Coast this Friday / Saturday (21st-22nd) and again Wednesday / Thursday (26th-27th). Expect more frozen precipitation into the Deep South.
Potential for significant snow event in the Ohio Valley and Northeast next Tuesday / Wednesday (25-26 January).
The West remains mostly dry with seasonable temperatures.

Outlook for Friday – Sunday 21-23 January:

— On Friday and Friday night an Atlantic storm brushes NC and Tidewater VA with freezing rain and snow. I-95 impacted in the Carolinas.

— Snow also across the Northern Plains and CO Rockies

— On Sunday, snow moves into the Great Lakes, followed by Lake Effect snow bands setting up downwind in the favored locations.

— Sunday will also see snow move into the Midwest with a clipper-type system.

— Dry throughout this period for the West Coast

Outlook for Monday – Wednesday 24-26 January:

— On Sunday night and Monday, the next snowstorm dives into the Norther Plains and into the Great Lakes.

— There is potential for a significant southern storm to develop over TX Monday night and Tuesday.

— This storm will bring heavy rain to the Gulf Coast, freezing rain to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic states, while snow spreads from the Ohio River Valley into the Northeast.

— On Wednesday this storm clears the Northeast.

— Still dry along the West Coast.

Here are the temperature, precipitation and snowfall outlooks for Friday – Wednesday 21-26 January

Average temperature difference relative to normal, Friday – Tuesday 21-25 January
Percentage of precipitation, relative to normal, through Wednesday 26 January. Red and brown is drier than normal; green and blue is wetter than normal.
Snowfall amounts through Wednesday 26 January. Weekend mid-Atlantic storm shows up over coastal NC and VA