Two winter storms in a row will hit the United States, this is the forecast

(CNN) — A winter storm is on a collision course with the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States on Saturday, and a stronger storm is coming in its wake.

The first storm will dump up to a foot of snow and significant ice through the day Sunday and could cause travel disruption. Millions of people are currently under alerts From the winter storm.

Today, Friday, transportation crews began preparing the roads in the area.

In central and northern Pennsylvania, where up to 6 inches of snow is expected, transportation crews have treated roads and are committed to “keeping roads passable and not completely clear of ice and snow,” according to a statement from the Department of Transportation. .

Some parts of Pennsylvania will bear the brunt of the storm, along with parts of Appalachia, inland areas of the Northeast and New England, including west of Boston.

Major disturbances are less likely in Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, and Washington. The storm track and insufficiently cold air combine to reduce the chances of snowfall to little or none.

But other cities, especially in New England, have greater chances of snow. Several inches of snow are expected to fall in Boston. That may not be on par with snow storms of the past, but it could still be the city's heaviest snowfall in a single storm since Feb. 25, 2022, when 8 inches of snow fell.

If forecasts come true in Hartford, Connecticut, it will be the largest snowstorm the city has seen since February 1, 2021, when 11 inches of snow fell.

Boston crews also prepared streets that were expected to remain open. They put drivers and up to 800 pieces of equipment on standby in case of need.

“Our goal will be to stay on top of the storm to keep the streets clear and peaceful,” Boston Chief Streets Officer Jascha Franklin Hodge said at a news conference on Friday.

He added: “In general, when the weather is like this, we ask people to be careful, and to drive carefully if they go out.”

A more powerful and threatening storm

The first, larger and stronger storm will follow until mid-week with all the potential dangers: snow, ice, strong winds, tornadoes and heavy rain.

The hurricane is scheduled to begin rapidly strengthening Monday as it moves across the central United States toward the Great Lakes, bringing snow and potential blizzards to colder northern regions along its path.

The exact location and amount of snowfall will vary depending on the storm's track, which remains uncertain, but the greatest chances for heavy snowfall are in the Plains, Great Lakes, Midwest, and interior Northeast regions.

The storm will benefit from warmer, more humid air from the Gulf of Mexico to the south, increasing the risk of severe storms, including some powerful tornadoes, damaging winds, and rainfall deluges near the Gulf Coast. The risk of strong storms will be greater on Monday and Tuesday in southern parts of the Southeast, including Florida.

As the storm moves northeast, rain and strong winds will spread across much of the eastern half of the United States. Floods and power outages will be a major concern.

Widespread heavy rain will fall on areas drenched and snowed in by the first storm.

Heavy rain alone can cause flooding, but rain on snow increases the risk, as warmer rain melts snow and quickly injects its water into watersheds.

This same devastating story happened in December, when a powerful storm caused deadly flooding in parts of inland New England after rain melted snow.

CNN's Amy Simonson contributed to this report.