Winter Storm Warnings Linger for 10 States Expecting 12 Inches of Snow
As February enters its final stretch, spring is on the way, but the National Weather Service (NWS) is warning of severe winter weather across 10 U.S. states starting on Friday, Feb. 20, and running through the weekend into Monday, Feb. 23.
The NWS has issued winter storm warnings, watches and advisories for areas of the Northeast and California, with weather experts warning of a snowstorm that's set to bring more snow to areas of the country that have already been dealing with winter weather.
Northeast and Southeast Looking at Up to 12 Additional Inches of Snow
Winter hasn't been nice to the Northeast, as the 2025-26 season has brought a bevy of cold and snowy weather to the region. The upper areas of the Southeast have been dealing with an unusual amount of severe winter weather, as well.
According to research from the weather experts at AccuWeater, a strong storm is shaping up to bring "snow and slippery travel" to areas of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and West Virginia over the weekend. There's even "the risk that the storm strengthens rapidly, bringing heavier snow to parts of the Interstate 95 corridor," the report states, including the Big Apple and Philly.
The report adds that localized snow totals of up to six additional inches of snow are projected for a "broad zone" going through "eastern Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio to the Delmarva Peninsula, New Jersey, southeastern New York and southern New England."
Other areas are looking at even more snow. In the higher terrain of West Virginia, NWS meteorologists warn of six to 12 inches of fresh snow falling from late Saturday night, Feb. 21, to Sunday night, Feb. 22.
So, the moral of this story is to not put away your shovel even if there have been a few warmer days. It's certainly been a snowy stretch, though, as certain areas of the Northeast are expected to get a fifth weekend of snowfall, if the weather reports stand up.
Meanwhile, the California mountains are bracing for a weekend of heavy snowfall. "A prolonged series of Pacific storms will deliver extreme snowfall to California’s mountains into this weekend," AccuWeather tells Men's Journal, "with significant travel disruptions and a risk for avalanches. Additional heavy snow and rain will expand into Oregon and Washington later this weekend."
Areas of the California mountains, extending into Nevada, are expected to get an upwards of 10 feet of snow.
Weather Experts Say February is Packed With Fluctuating Weather
While the weather has been wild for February 2025, that's fairly normal. According to research from the NOAA, "Throughout February we often endure atmospheric swings as meteorological winter comes to a close in the Northern Hemisphere."
Also, if you think it's been cold, you're right. "Climatologically speaking, February is the third coldest month of the year," the NOAA notes, "with December and January typically being colder."