Severe winter storm warning to affect several areas of the country

The NWS Weather Prediction Center issued a report early this morning warning of a powerful storm that will affect the eastern part of the country between this Sunday and Wednesday.

The system will develop along the Mid-Atlantic coast and affect nearly 54 million people, who are under a Winter Storm or Blizzard Warning from the Central Appalachians to the coast of Maine.

The storm is forecast to intensify Sunday afternoon and evening. Snowfall, initially light to moderate, will rapidly increase in intensity along the I-95 corridor north of Washington, D.C., with rates potentially exceeding 2 to 3 inches per hour.

Blizzard conditions, combined with wind gusts between 40 and 70 miles per hour, will extend from Maryland's Eastern Shore to southeastern New England, affecting areas north of Baltimore and as far north as Boston. Authorities warn that travel could become extremely hazardous and even impossible in these areas.

During Monday morning, at the peak of the system's intensity, very heavy snow with strong winds is forecast from Philadelphia to Boston. However, gradual improvement is expected toward the afternoon as the storm rapidly moves away.

By Monday night, total snow accumulations could reach between 1 and 2 feet from the New Jersey coast to Boston.

Return of rain to the West

On the opposite coast, precipitation will return to the Pacific Northwest and north-central California due to a series of low pressure systems accompanied by atmospheric rivers.

The most intense of these atmospheric rivers will reach the West Coast on Monday and could generate isolated instances of flash flooding, due to saturation of the ground following previous heavy rains. The rain is expected to extend in coverage and remain off the coast.