Snow squalls to coat roads from Cleveland to Boston early this week

The midwestern and northeastern United States are not only facing another bitter blast of arctic air during the first part of this week, but also snow showers and squalls that will bring hazards to motorists.
Fresh arctic air that will prove to be the coldest so far this season in many communities will sweep from the Midwest to the East through Wednesday, ushered in by an Alberta clipper storm system.
"This system will not only bring a renewed blast of mid-winter cold, but also the threat of snow showers and snow squalls," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ed Vallee said.
The clipper is not expected to drop substantial snow accumulations until it reaches northern New England and strengthens during Tuesday night. However, travelers across the rest of the Northeast and Midwest should not let their guard down.
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The clipper will still produce a general coating to an inch or two of snow from the Upper Midwest to areas just west of Interstate 95 in the northern mid-Atlantic. Enough snow can fall in some communities to make roads slippery.
The snow that the clipper initially dropped on the Upper Midwest during Monday was merely a nuisance to motorists by putting a fresh powder on roads.
This nuisance snow will spread into the Northeast on Tuesday, but that is when the danger of snow squalls will also increase.
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"With these squalls, deteriorating road conditions will be possible; featuring brief whiteout conditions and slick spots," Vallee said.
Snow squalls can be referred to as the winter cousin of severe thunderstorm squall lines and have been blamed for multi-vehicle pileups in the past. AccuWeather MinuteCast® can alert drivers of approaching snow.
Motorists should reduce their speed and leave plenty of space between vehicles.
Drivers may also want to consider exiting off interstates or highways to wait out the squall. Other than places immediately downwind of the Great Lakes, squalls will move through most communities in about 30 minutes.
After being preceded by the nuisance snow that will coat roads, the snow squalls will threaten Indianapolis; Detroit; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; and London, Ontario, in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday.
The danger of squalls will spread to Montreal, Canada; Albany and Binghamton, New York; Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Allentown, Pennsylvania; Charleston, West Virginia; and Lexington, Kentucky, on Tuesday.
Travel could become treacherous for a time on stretches of interstates 70, 75, 80, 81, 87, 90 and 99.
Conditions along I-95 in the mid-Atlantic are likely to range from dry to perhaps briefly slippery.
"Most areas from New York City to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are unlikely to receive more than a light coating of snow and may only have non-accumulating flurries," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"However, as with any snow shower, there is the risk that some roads could turn slippery in a hurry and catch motorists off guard from late Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday evening."
The potential for more substantial snow will increase across northern New England Tuesday night as the clipper further strengthens.
"In portions of southern New England, such as Boston, the snow could last long enough to bring an inch or two accumulation," Sosnowski said.
The storm is likely to strengthen quickly enough to bring general accumulating snow to northern New England.
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Bangor and Caribou, Maine, could face enough snow to plow and cause disruptions.
Atlantic Canada would instead face the worst of the developing snowstorm at midweek. Parts of Newfoundland, Labrador and far eastern Quebec may face blizzard conditions, while the bitter arctic blast and more lake-effect snow settle over the Midwest and East