Winter Storm Brings First Plowable Snow to Midwest and Northeast: 2–12 Inch Totals From Pittsburgh to New England

A fast-developing winter storm is delivering the season’s first widespread snow to large sections of the Midwest and Northeast today, with forecasters emphasizing that how much accumulates will depend heavily on elevation and distance from the coast. The National Weather Service and local outlets say totals will generally range from a couple of inches on treated city streets to half a foot or more in interior highlands.

In the Pittsburgh region of western Pennsylvania, TV forecasters label today an “Impact Day,” calling for a fairly uniform 2 to 4 inches of accumulation across much of the metro as steady snow falls through the morning commute. Some nearby communities could see slick roads into early afternoon before temperatures rise and crews catch up.

Farther east, parts of southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey are under a winter weather advisory, but amounts there are expected to be lower. The latest National Weather Service forecast points to less than an inch along the I‑95 corridor, with 1 to 3 inches in areas just northwest of the highway and 3 to 5 inches closer to the I‑78 corridor and northwest New Jersey. Forecasters stress a sharp gradient, meaning a short drive could take travelers from wet pavement into accumulating snow.

Across interior New England, the same coastal low is a bigger snow-maker. An Associated Press summary of National Weather Service guidance reports that some parts of northern New England could see up to 10 inches of snow as the storm intensifies today, while lower-elevation and coastal areas deal more with rain and mixed precipitation.

Local outlets in Maine and neighboring states are tracking forecast bands that generally call for a widespread 3 to 6 inches inland, with locally higher totals where heavier snow bands set up. Interior sections of upstate New York and Vermont are under similar guidance, with several inches expected and messy, slick travel likely on untreated secondary roads.

For much of the broader Northeast, private forecasters describe today’s system as the first “plowable” event of the season, projecting broad zones of 1 to 3 inches, 3 to 6 inches and pockets of 6 to 12 inches in the higher interior terrain as the storm slides from the Midwest toward New England. While many coastal cities will see more rain than snow, residents just a few miles inland should be prepared for slushy, snow-covered roads, slower commutes and the unofficial start of winter driving season.