Major winter storms that inundate two-thirds of the United States can bring heavy snow and dangerous ice

On By Littum

Most of the eastern two-thirds of the United States is expected to bear the brunt of winter storms this weekend into early next week.

Before the big system hits, light snow fell across parts of the Northeast Friday afternoon. This system could produce 1 to 2 inches of snow from Maryland to southern New Jersey by Friday night.

Portions of the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, DC to New York will see a period of light snow through the evening commute.

But about 45 million people are under a winter watch from Kansas to Maryland for a much bigger and more impactful winter storm. It will cover the eastern two-thirds of the nation from Saturday to Monday.

“Impacts will begin in the Central Plains late Saturday, then across the Ohio Valley on Sunday, where severe travel disruptions are expected,” the National Weather Service said. X. “The storm will then track into the Mid-Atlantic Sunday night and into Monday.”

Heavy snow, significant ice and thunderstorms will track from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast, leading to hazardous travel conditions. Cities like St. Louis, Indianapolis and Cincinnati could see the worst of the snow and ice, with snowfall of 6 to 12 inches and ice accumulations of 0.25 to 5 inches. These conditions can bring down tree limbs and cause power outages.

“A combination of wind gusts greater than 35 mph and heavy snowfall rates could lead to a blizzard in the Central Plains Sunday morning,” the weather service said on X. “Whiteout conditions will make driving dangerous to impossible and increase the risk of being stranded.”

On Sunday, violent storms will rumble across the South and could affect seven million people from southeast Texas to Mississippi and southern Tennessee.

“Hazardous sleet and freezing rain is expected from eastern Kansas and the Ozarks extending east into the Ohio Valley,” the weather service said. “Icing is also likely for parts of the central Appalachians Sunday into Sunday evening. Treacherous travel conditions are expected, with power outages likely in areas with over a quarter inch of ice accumulation due to freezing rain.”

Monday will be a messy day in the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as the storm hits Pittsburgh, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia. The heaviest snowfall could affect the area south of New York City.

Behind this storm, arctic air will pour down from Canada, and temperatures for most of next week will be well below average from the northern plains to the southeast.