Tracking weekend storm's cold side, rain, snow, and wind on the way

A busy weekend is in the forecast for the eastern half of the U.S. as a powerful storm system rolls in. In addition to severe weather, snow will be possible on the cold side of this system.

The WeatherRadar will be active this weekend as a strong storm tracks across the eastern U.S. While severe storms are expected to break out over the southern Plains and parts of the South Friday night and Saturday, the cold side of this storm system will bring snowy conditions further north.

With warm temperatures ahead of this system, soggy conditions are expected through the weekend in the warm sector of this storm. Heavy rain will fall from Mississippi to Maine with 1 to 3 inches in the forecast. Cities such as Nashville, Tenn., Raleigh, N.C., Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston will see moderate to heavy rainfall.

Snow is forecast on the cold side of this powerful weekend system. Friday into Saturday, a dusting of 1-3 inches is likely in the Dakotas, western Minnesota, and the upper peninsula of Michigan, with some locations like Marquette, Mich., possibly seeing up to 6 inches.

Light amounts of snow are expected across portions of the Great Lakes on Saturday, but the heaviest swath of snowfall is expected on Sunday. The WeatherRadar shows a swath of snow from the Appalachians of West Virginia through Upstate New York and northern Vermont. Some folks in the higher elevations may even see 6 inches or more of snow. Weather & Radar's expert meteorologists will further pinpoint these snow totals in the coming days.

Finally, wind is also a concern, especially as we head into the end of the weekend. Strong winds are expected to develop along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts on Sunday and even into Monday morning. The WindRadar shows 50 mph gusts near the coast, and there is the potential for a narrow band of gusts up to 70 mph along the New England coastline.

With all of this active weather in the forecast, now is the time to review your winter weather safety plans and turn on your Weather & Radar app alerts.