Winter storm is forecast to hit Northeast, Mid-Atlantic with heavy snow, dangerous ice

(The Hill) -- A substantial winter storm is set to hit much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend, with the worst of the weather expected on Saturday and Sunday.

Snow is expected to pile up from western Maryland to southern Maine, with the wide-range Nor'easter also bringing severe ice that could make roads treacherous, the National Weather Service warned Friday.

The worst of the snow is set for the Hudson Valley, western Connecticut, Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Manchester, New Hampshire, could see between six and 12 inches of snow, according to local meteorologists.

Heavy ice is also forecast for Appalachia as the storm moves north and east, threatening travel.

The major East Coast cities are expected to miss out on much of the storm. Significant snow is not forecast to fall in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, or Philadelphia due to high temperatures that are predicted to bring rain and sleet. New York City may see some light snow, but significant pile-up is unlikely.

Boston could see as much as five inches of snow between Saturday and Sunday.

“For the interior Mid-Atlantic and New England, there is increasing confidence in heavy snow from Saturday afternoon into Sunday,” the National Weather Service said Friday. “The greatest uncertainty in the rain-snow transition is from southeast Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey into southern New England.”

“The combination of heavy, wet snow and gusty winds in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts may lead to some power outages and tree damage,” it added. “Gusty onshore winds may lead to minor flooding along the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts, particularly for the Sunday morning high tide cycle.”