Northeast Snowfall Totals And Pictures 2017: New York, Massachusetts And Pennsylvania May Get 12 Inches Of Snow

Although many parts of the Northeast faced unusually warm weather Wednesday, temperatures were expected to quickly drop across many east coast areas by Thursday morning, according to weather reports. A snowstorm is expected to hit areas stretching from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., with some cities receiving as much as two inches of snow per hour throughout the day.

"It looks like the cold air will come in fast enough and the storm will strengthen enough to produce a swath of heavy, wet and accumulating snow from the mountains of northern Virginia and West Virginia to much of New England," meteorologist Mike Dill told AccuWeather.

Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston and New York City could see up to 12 inches of snow Thursday as the storm moves eastward from Midwest states including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and northern parts of Kentucky Wednesday night.

As the storm makes its way toward the east coast, parts of New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. will receive a bit of rain, which will eventually turn into snow as temperatures continue to drop. Although the snow is not expected to stick right away, meteorologists said as the snowfall rate picks up speed and temperatures continue to drop, Northeast commuters could see snow starting to accumulate by the time they leave their homes for work Thursday.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and northern areas of Delaware and Maryland. New Hampshire, coastal Maine, southern parts of Maryland, including Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. have been issued winter storm watches, Weather Channel reported.

Travel delays and disruptions are expected throughout most of the Northeast due to the rapid snowfall and accumulation, which could lead to slippery and slushy roads. Meteorologist also warned of falling tree limbs and sporadic power outages caused by wet snow clinging on to and weighing down trees and power lines.