Severe cold persists as forecasters track another potential East Coast storm

Another winter storm may be headed toward the East Coast of the United States this weekend, on the heels of a powerful and deadly system that blanketed huge swaths of the country in snow and ice. The effects of that original storm have lingered for many areas in its path, and will likely remain as repeated bouts of Arctic air plunge downward from Canada and drive temperatures below freezing. Nikki Nolan contributed to this report. In:

Another winter storm may be headed toward the East Coast of the United States this weekend, on the heels of a powerful and deadly system that blanketed huge swaths of the country in snow and ice. The effects of that original storm have lingered for many areas in its path, and will likely remain as repeated bouts of Arctic air plunge downward from Canada and drive temperatures below freezing.

This could ultimately mark the longest stretch of cold the Eastern and Southeastern U.S. have experienced in decades, according to the National Weather Service, which warned that the next Arctic blast was set to arrive Thursday night.

Alongside the next wave of frigid air is a potential storm brewing off the coast of the Carolinas. Its forecast remained somewhat uncertain early Thursday, although meteorologists anticipated it would at least affect stretches of the coastline and sections of surrounding mid-Atlantic states. Maps created by CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan illustrate possible forecast outcomes based on the latest weather modeling.

A coastal low-pressure storm system seemed poised to form off the Carolina coast on Friday, potentially laying the foundation for another winter storm this weekend, the National Weather Service said. 

Different forecast models plotted diverging paths for the storm after its expected turn northward, at which point some indicate that the system will veer slightly toward the east, while others suggest its track will tilt westward instead. In the first scenario, the storm — and the snowfall that could accompany it — would largely avoid land. In the second, its westward lean could bring wintry weather, including more snow, to parts of the Northeast.