A massive winter storm is set to sweep across the U.S., bringing heavy snow, ice, and severe weather conditions to millions over the next three days.
From the Plains to the mid-Atlantic, approximately 60 million individuals are under weather alerts as this formidable low-pressure system advances. The storm’s path will impact major cities like Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.
In the Rocky Mountains and the central and northern Plains, residents should brace for heavy snowfall, high winds, and freezing rain. Cities such as Wichita, Kansas City, and Omaha are bracing for potential blizzard conditions with wind gusts up to 35-40 mph.
“A wintry mix could start as early as this afternoon and transition to snow Sunday afternoon,” warned the National Weather Service’s Kansas City office on X. “Wind gusts around 35-40 mph on Sunday could yield possible blizzard conditions.”
By Sunday morning, the storm will intensify over the central Plains, delivering heavy snow and ice from Kansas to the mid-Mississippi Valley, moving eastward throughout the day. This will have substantial impacts in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Simultaneously, severe weather, including the risk of tornadoes, high winds, and hail, threatens about 7 million people in the lower Mississippi Valley, affecting cities like Jackson, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lake Charles in Louisiana.
As the storm progresses into Monday, the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, will see snow accumulation. This snowy weather is expected to linger until Tuesday morning when the system finally moves offshore.
Snowfall is predicted to be heaviest in Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, with accumulations of 9 to 16 inches. A broader swath from Illinois to the mid-Atlantic is expected to see 4 to 9 inches, with higher amounts in the central Appalachians.
Ice accumulation, posing risks of power outages, tree damage, and treacherous travel, is anticipated from Kansas to Virginia, with ice totals between 0.1 to 0.4 inches, and up to 0.75 inches in parts of Missouri, southern Illinois, and Kentucky.
Following the storm, a sharp decline in temperatures is expected across the eastern two-thirds of the country, with highs dropping 10 to 25 degrees below average from Sunday through Friday. Temperatures will range from single digits to teens in the Plains and Midwest, and from the 20s to 30s in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The northern Plains will experience the coldest conditions, with overnight lows potentially reaching minus 20 and wind chills around minus 40. Cold weather advisories are in effect from eastern Montana to Minnesota.