Winter storm Blair to deliver snowy and icy mess

An expansive winter storm will spread snow and ice from the plains to parts of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic this weekend into Monday, potentially snuffing out holiday travel in several states.

This system has been named Winter Storm Blair by The Weather Channel.

(MORE: Names of winter storm 2024-25)

Where is the storm now

From there, the storm’s low pressure will track east through the central and eastern United States this weekend into Monday, with its exact path determining which areas will see the heaviest snow, as well as who may encounter accumulating ice.

(MORE: Why the snowfall forecast sometimes changes)

timing

• Saturday-Saturday evening: During the day, much of the snow will be in the northern and central Rockies. Snowfall and some ice will also begin to appear in the plains and intensify into the evening, with wintry weather extending as far east as the mid-Mississippi Valley overnight.
• Kansas City, St. Louis and Wichita, Kansas, could all face increasingly dangerous travel conditions, especially later Saturday.

• Sunday-Sunday evening: Snow, potentially heavy at times, will extend near and on both sides of the Interstate 70 corridor from Kansas to Ohio. Gusts will accompany the snow in some areas, leading to reduced visibility. A wintry mess of sleet, frost, and snow is expected just south of the area of ​​greatest snowfall, perhaps also from northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas to parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and Appalachian Mountains.
• Travel should be avoided in areas where snow and ice are expected. It includes Cincinnati, Kansas City, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas City and St. Louis, to name just a few cities.
• By Sunday night, the storm’s wintry weather will have spread as far east as the Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, DC and Baltimore.
• (15-Minute Detail: For even more detailed weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute detailed forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)

• Monday: While snow and ice totals are uncertain, we expect commuters to face wintry travel conditions to start the morning of the new mid-Atlantic work week. Snow will also continue to affect parts of the Ohio Valley and Appalachian Mountains.
• Baltimore, Charleston, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC are some of the places that should monitor the forecast closely.
• Overnight, much of the storm’s wintry weather will taper off from west to east, but remnants of snow and ice on the ground could affect travel in some areas Tuesday morning.
• (192 hours: Further strengthen your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on our Premium Pro experience.)

How much snow and ice to expect

• There’s a good chance this storm will deliver a swath of snow totaling 6 inches or more across the Central Plains and Midwest, especially in the darker purple shaded areas of the map below from northeast Kansas to parts of Missouri, the southern half of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and possibly northern Kentucky.
• In the mid-Atlantic, at least light to moderate snowfall is possible, but it’s too early for totals.

• Ice in the form of sleet and freezing rain may be most problematic from central and southern Kansas to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians. Travel impacts are likely, and we can’t rule out at least some broken tree limbs and/or scattered power outages, although it’s a little early to provide those details.
• As the track of the storm is still not 100% certain, the forecast for the largest snow and ice totals may shift north or south. Check back for updates on weather.com and The Weather Channel app.

Chris Dolce has been a senior meteorologist at weather.com for over 10 years after starting his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.