Coastal storm could slow early Christmas travel along East Coast next week

Two storm systems are forecast to merge late this week, creating a messy weekend for the East Coast and a wet start next week for early holiday travelers.

A low-pressure system sliding across Florida this week will emerge into the Atlantic Ocean, and the FOX Forecast Center expects it to begin to slide up the East Coast.

Over the weekend and into next week, this system is expected to merge with a storm system bringing rain and snow to Texas, creating a messy combination of rain and wind for millions of people up and down the Eastern Seaboard by Monday and Tuesday.  

“If those two phases together, then you’re talking a much stronger system that is going to continue to kind of get shifted up in the jet stream, move up the coastline,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said. “The placement of that low is going to be one thing for us to watch very closely.”

Those along the Interstate 95 corridor hoping for snow to see a white Christmas won’t be in luck with this system as this is expected to be a rain-only event for the major cities, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington.

“There’s just not enough cold air for the 95 corridor. For big snow from coastal storms. You need cold air ahead of it, and also cold air during the event,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “So the snow part, that would be more limited no matter what with the atmosphere that we have working right now.”

There is potential for snow in interior portions of the mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.

Whether it’s rain or snow, there will likely be an impact on travel both on the roads and at major airports next week.

The forecast details will firm up over the next day, but as of now, heavy rain and gusty winds are expected for the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Northeast. 

Rain totals across the Southeast could be up to 5 inches for coastal areas from Florida and into the Carolinas.

New York City is in for a wet weekend yet again, with rain on both weekend days and showers lasting into next week.

From Sunday to Tuesday, between 1 and 2 inches of rain are forecast across the Northeast from Virginia to Maine. Isolated areas could see up to 3 inches. 

Washington, DC will be quite soggy with rain forecast through Tuesday.