Winter's grip on the central and eastern states isn't letting up as we enter the second half of February with another winter storm on the horizon that could become a major nor'easter late in the week.
The storm has been named Winter Storm Kingston by The Weather Channel.
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The exact track and strength of this winter storm is not yet set in stone, which means the forecast for any snow or ice totals, including amounts and exact locations impacted, is still to be determined.
Early-to-Midweek Timing
-Monday night and Tuesday: Snow and ice picks up in the Plains and parts of the South from north Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas to Kansas and Missouri.
-Late Tuesday into Wednesday: Snow and ice spreads into the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and Tennessee Valley into the mid-Atlantic states. There is some potential of a significant ice and/or snowfall in the Carolinas on Wednesday.
Strong Nor'easter?
This system could then deliver snow and strong winds to parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast as a nor'easter sometime later Wednesday through Thursday, but that's not a given yet.
A track of the storm closer to the coast would increase that chance, while a track farther offshore would only deliver a glancing blow or nothing at all, as the graphic illustrates below.
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An increasing number of computer forecast models suggest a nor'easter is possible. NOAA's Weather Prediction Center highlighted a swath of the Northeast in a "heavy snow" threat for next Wednesday and Thursday in their extended hazards outlook. Chances are growing of heavy snow from Virginia to Massachusetts.
For now, if you see snow and ice in your forecast, it's best to keep tabs on the latest updates by checking weather.com and The Weather Channel App in the coming days. We'll be able to provide more key details as this storm draws closer in time.
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Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with weather.com for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.