A quick punch of Canadian air trails a departing storm and flips the script across the Northeast and the spine of the Appalachians. Forecast discussions flag high ridges, lake belts, and windward slopes where evening rain can turn grainy as temperatures slide. Streetlights catch first flakes, porches glaze, and trails whisper under a thin crust by dawn. What this really means is a short reset to December cold, a hush in the trees, and the season’s quiet signal that winter is on the doorstep.
Pennsylvania
Southwestern high country sits squarely in the chill, where the Laurel Highlands tug moisture from northwest flow and nudge it upslope. Evening showers flip to flakes on the ridges, leaving cabin steps and field edges lightly powdered by morning. Gusty winds slash the feel by as much as 20 degrees, pushing lows into the 20s and 30s in exposed gaps. It reads modest on a map yet lands loud in mood, a clean signal that fall’s grip is loosening above Uniontown and Johnstown.
West Virginia
Along the Allegheny spine, elevation does the talking. Cold air pouring over the crest squeezes out a coating to an inch on ridgetops from Canaan Valley to Dolly Sods, with bursts near midnight as the back side of the storm settles. Valleys rattle under wind advisories while ski hills take note of humidity and ground temps. The first whitening is brief, bright, and practical, a reminder to stash scraper, gloves, and patience before true winter arrives.
Maryland
Western Maryland’s narrow panhandle consistently punches above its weight when northwest flow arrives. Garrett County picks up the signal first, where Deep Creek backroads, open pastures, and trailheads collect a cosmetic veil. Road impacts stay limited, but gusts funneling through the gaps make the cold feel sharper than the numbers. It is a postcard of timing and topography, the kind of night that looks wintry in the hills while Main Street keeps the wipers working on cold rain.
New York
Northern New York leans into altitude and aspect. Across the Adirondacks, drizzle turns granular as air dries and cools, dusting high trails, towers, and lean-to roofs while shorelines wake to frosted canoes. Several inches north of the border speak to the depth of cold aloft, and lake belts flirt with brief squalls. By midmorning the sun trims the edges, but in shaded bowls the sheen hangs on, a quiet rehearsal for the long stretch ahead. Wind chills dip well below the readings, and backroads carry that telltale crunch at the edges where shade lingers.
Vermont
The northern Greens often catch the handoff from rain to snow once the back side of the low takes aim. From Mansfield to Jay, even skinny bands wring out a coating on upper slopes, logging roads, and wind scoured saddles. Village greens trade leaf blowers for steaming mugs as the air snaps clean, and wind headlines nearby underline the bite. North-facing pockets hold their crust into morning, and wax benches start to hum as resorts eye dew points and wet bulb charts.
New Hampshire
From Franconia to the Presidential Range, altitude and exposure line up for an early whitening. As temperatures plunge, lingering moisture goes grainy, tracing spruce tops, cairns, and granite ledges before sunrise while notches funnel the gusts. Towns below feel the sting in flapping flags and quick steps, even with little sticking beyond the peaks. It is a small snowfall with a big message, turning headlamps toward traction and reminding hikers that shoulder season is brief.
Maine
Western Maine’s highlands sit perfectly placed for wraparound moisture on the storm’s departure. Open balds and skidder cuts take a thin veil as colder, drier air knifes in, while lakeside towns ride a raw mix onshore. The best chance for a measurable sugar coat favors the north and west, where elevation and exposure do the quiet work. By breakfast, firs sparkle, truck beds crust, and the day moves with a slower confidence that comes when winter taps the shoulder.
