Updated November 9, 2026. This is a summary of public forecasts, with sources linked at the end. Forecasts can change quickly, so check your local National Weather Service office before you travel.
The winter storm forecast everyone is searching for is really two stories: a low-pressure system that could become a nor’easter late this week, and a sharp blast of cold air behind it. Most big coastal cities are expected to see rain, not snow. The first snow of the season is more likely inland and in higher terrain. Here is what forecasters are saying and what is still uncertain.
What is expected this week
According to Fox Weather, a weak low forms over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley on Wednesday, moves toward the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Thursday, and could strengthen near the coast on Friday before pulling toward Canada on Saturday. The Weather Company says rain spreads from Georgia to Michigan on Wednesday, with the first snow chances in the interior Northeast on Thursday night, partly from lake-effect bands.
Who could see snow
AccuWeather names Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Binghamton as places that could see the first flakes, along with higher terrain in the Poconos, Catskills and Berkshires. Fox Weather points to northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine for the most significant snow, and says measurable snow could reach south along the Appalachians into central Pennsylvania. FOX 29 Philadelphia says the National Weather Service sees at least an inch possible in some of those areas.
- Philadelphia, New York and Washington: mostly rain and gusty wind, with little or no snow accumulation expected.
- Interior Northeast and higher terrain: the best chance of accumulating snow.
- Great Lakes: lake-effect snow bands are possible.
- Midwest, Ohio Valley and parts of the South: a hard freeze is likely for many.
The cold air is the surer part of the forecast
AccuWeather rates the cold as the higher-confidence part of the forecast. It says hard freezes are likely starting Friday night in the Midwest, Ohio Valley and parts of the South, where many areas have not had one yet this fall, and that several nights near or below freezing are possible into the weekend, including in Nashville, Knoxville, Huntsville and the northern Atlanta suburbs. The Weather Company expects highs to fall about 20 degrees from Wednesday to Friday between Chicago and Atlanta, with lows in the 30s as far south as the Florida Panhandle. Fox Weather says highs across the Northeast and Great Lakes may stay in the 30s or 40s, with lows in the 20s.
What forecasters are not sure about
The track and strength of the storm are still unresolved. The Weather Company says the American (GFS) model keeps the low a bit farther north and slows it, giving rounds of lake-effect snow inland and rain along I-95 into the weekend, while the European model moves it faster and offshore, with rain, wind and snow inland on Friday and Saturday. Fox Weather says a closer coastal track could bring heavy rain and gusty winds to the coast, while a track farther out to sea would reduce coastal rain and limit inland snow.
Apart from the National Weather Service’s at-least-one-inch note, the forecasts we read give no snowfall totals. The Weather Company also points out that a nor’easter is not automatically a heavy-snow event. It produces snow mainly when the air is cold enough.
How to get ready
A first snow and a hard freeze are less dramatic than a blizzard, but they still catch people out. Cover or bring in tender plants before the first freeze, disconnect and drain outdoor hoses, make sure your car has an ice scraper and washer fluid, and charge phones and power banks if wind could knock out power. Our emergency supplies checklist covers what to keep at home for outages, and our Garden guides cover protecting plants as temperatures fall. For more stories people are searching for right now, see our trending stories.
Sources
- The Weather Company: Potential nor’easter could bring rain, snow later this week (November 9, 2026)
- Fox Weather: Potential nor’easter could usher in season’s first snow for millions (November 8–9, 2026)
- AccuWeather: First snowflakes of the season possible as colder air targets the central, eastern United States (November 8, 2026)
- FOX 29 Philadelphia: Potential nor’easter expected to bring snow this week (November 9, 2026)
Forecasts were checked on November 9, 2026 and will change as the storm develops.