Crippling pre-Thanksgiving snow may be sign of worse winter than predicted

The intensity of Thursday's snowstorm caught many by surprise -- shutting down roads and stranding drivers -- but it's also got forecasters thinking "more trouble may be brewing in December in the East," according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"After examining the latest trends including the behavior of El Niño, Atlantic water temperatures and other factors, AccuWeather's long-range team has made some adjustments to their winter forecast," he said in a news release.

Near- to below-average temperatures and an active storm track "are likely to lead to plenty of opportunities for snow in portions of the interior South, the mid-Atlantic and New England," AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

Cities such as Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Philadelphia are likely to receive more snow than average.

Another bad one?

A stormy pattern may return in December, the forecasters said.

"We expect a storm similar to the Nov. 15-16 storm to affect the Northeast with heavy snow and ice sometime during the second to third week of December," Pastelok said.

More:Storm outpaced plows as commuters flooded highways, leading to utter standstill on I-83

More:Snow totals for around Pennsylvania

More:Camel weathered the winter storm on a snowy roadway

Watch:First snowstorm of 2018 fall season hits York

Traveling this week

If you're planning on traveling for Thanksgiving this week, pay attention to the forecast.

Snow, rain and a snow mix will extend from the lower Great Lakes, including around Detroit and Cleveland, to New York state and northern Pennsylvania into Sunday evening, forecasters say.

And snow is likely to hit parts of the Northeast Monday night through Tuesday, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Rathbun.

It's expected to coat roads from northern Pennsylvania into parts of New England.

And you can expect chilly temperatures for Thanksgiving.

“Air typical of the heart of winter will anchor across the Northeast on Thanksgiving Day,” Rathbun said. Although the region should be dry, highs will be in the teens and 20s for most.

If you're staying home, the forecast for York County is for a high of 33 degrees and a low of 18.