The first accumulating snow of the season is expected early Saturday with slushy coatings likely, especially on colder surfaces. Before the burst of steady snow, there will be a messy mix with the first part of the storm Friday afternoon. On-and-off showers with rain and wet snow is expected between noon and 9 p.m. While the precipitation will not be heavy, it will be steady at times and create slippery road conditions.

Hazardous travel will be the biggest concern with this storm as it is the weekend before Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa. Holiday travel will be much higher than usual. Slippery road conditions become slushy and even more hazardous Saturday morning with a burst of steady snow expected between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

If all the snow Saturday morning sticks, an inch or two is possible, but considering the wet pavement and warmer surfaces, expect a coating of slush. Colder surfaces could see an inch or so of snow. Some of the snow may stick around into next week as the arctic blast moves in.

The arctic blast will bring the coldest air in nearly two years into Sunday and Monday. Saturday will be very cold with feels-like temperatures in the 20s, but lows on Sunday and Monday morning will feel like single digits. A forecast low of 16 degrees Monday morning would be the coldest temperature since Feb. 4, 2023, when it was just 3 degrees.

Another, albeit weaker, storm system is likely Christmas Eve into Christmas Day and the start of Hannukah with some mixed rain and snow showers possible. Stay tuned for updates.