According to David Bishop, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, after a lull in the precipitation Thursday afternoon, freezing rain is now expected to start Thursday between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. That precipitation should start as freezing rain and transition to snow between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. or so, he said.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain were expected to continue pummeling the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states Wednesday, while California readied for a storm that could flood areas ravaged by the recent wildfires.

Officials in California distributed sandbags, prepositioned rescue swimmers and told residents to have their go-bags ready as the state prepares for an atmospheric river that could bring heavy rain, winds and flooding to areas recently ravaged by wildfires.

The seemingly endless cycle of snow, torrential rain and disruptive weather will continue this weekend as another powerful storm system lashes the central and eastern U.S., with the added threat of a multiday severe weather outbreak.

Northern New Jersey could get 2 to 4 inches of snow before a switch to a wintry mix. Heavy rain is expected Sunday.