Northeast snow will affect millions this weekend

A big flurry of snow followed by cold air will sweep across the Northeast this holiday weekend.

Named Winter Storm Demi by The Weather Channel, it will bring a quick round of snow to some of the nation’s largest cities, which could affect everything from travel to playoff football.

(MORE: Why we name winter storms and the 2024-25 list)

Current winter weather alerts

Winter storm watches have been added from northern Virginia to inland parts of southern New England. This is where snow can make roads difficult to navigate later in the holiday weekend.

Saturday

On Saturday, a cold front will sweep through the area, bringing rain primarily to coastal areas and the Interstate 95 corridor. Some light snow will sweep through inland parts of the Northeast, northern New England and the Ohio Valley.

A mild Saturday is expected in most of the southeast.

However, this is not the main event.

Sunday

Headlining this weekend’s system is the area of ​​low pressure that will shoot out of the south and head north along the Atlantic coast. This will intensify as it moves north and wrings out the snow across the Northeast and New England.

(For even more detailed tracking of weather data in your area, view your 15-minute detailed forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)

There are still model discrepancies regarding how much snow falls; much of this depends on how close to shore they make the tracks.

If the low hugs the coast, more snow will come to the big cities. But if they make tracks further west, then snowfall amounts will be less along I-95.

Sunday evening

On Sunday evening, the snow will settle from south to north before finally moving out on Monday morning. Much of the Northeast and New England will continue to see snowfall overnight.

Here’s a look at the snowfall totals expected from Winter Storm Demi.

Rams vs. Eagles playoff game in Philadelphia on Sunday could be interesting. With the possibility of snow moving in, there could be issues with travel to and from the game. Right now, the forecast generally calls for up to 5 inches of snow in and around Philadelphia, with the highest totals along I-95 and west.

(Division Playoffs: Outlook for snow and cold games)

The rest of the Northeast and New England could see several centimeters of snow, but there are still uncertainties. Regardless, there will still be travel issues Sunday night into Monday morning with slick roads and possible airport delays.

Mid-Atlantic, including Washington, DC, is also forecast for snowy conditions for much of Sunday. The forecast calls for a few inches of snow, but the snow will push out well before the presidential inauguration on Monday.

(MORE: This inauguration could be the coldest in 40 years)

Dangerous cold sets in

While the snow ends on Sunday, the wind will kick in Sunday night into Monday. Any snow on the ground will have the potential to blow around and cause visibility issues, making travel difficult in some areas.

As the snow moves out, the coldest air mass of the season will move in, lasting through most of next week. Some areas will experience dangerously cold temperatures. Places like Boston could see morning wind chills drop to minus 10 to 15 degrees several mornings in a row.

(MORE: Arctic air could bring the coldest temperatures of the winter as far as the central, eastern United States)

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has covered some of the world’s biggest weather and climate stories for the past two decades.