Meanwhile, a second storm will cross the Deep South, producing some rain and wet snow, before reaching the East Coast.

The two storms will merge, causing late-week intensification of wind and snow across the Northeast.

Elsewhere, stormy weather will also return to the West. During the next 5 days, precipitation could total as much as 2 to 4 inches in northern and central California.

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for colder-than-normal weather across the southern two-thirds of the U.S., while near- to above-normal temperatures will prevail across the nation’s northern tier. Meanwhile, drier-than-normal conditions across the Desert Southwest and from the northern Plains into the Midwest will contrast with near- to above-normal precipitation across the remainder of the U.S.