"Cape Cod and the Islands will be impacted the most by this weather system, but even there, the impact will be nothing remarkable." The post Dave Epstein on how this Atlantic winter storm will impact Mass.

Winter's brutal grip on the U.S. East will continue in the coming days, with subfreezing temperatures reaching into Florida and a potential blizzard threatening the Atlantic coast.

"Accumulating snow potential is decreasing on Sunday with the highest chance across eastern Long Island and southeast Connecticut," the National Weather Service said in a Thursday afternoon advisory, which added that the East End would probably get between 1 and 2 inches of snow.

That uncertainty is not unusual at this early stage. Forecasters rely on a blend of weather models — computer simulations used to predict future conditions — and they are more confident in a forecast when most of those models are consistent with one another. The closer the storm is, the more confident forecasters become.

The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory for most of New Jersey from 7 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Wednesday.

A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Mount Holly at 12:38 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23.

Up to a foot is possible this weekend in parts of the Southeast and on Cape Cod, with smaller amounts expected for much of the East Coast.