Major winter storm to bring heavy snow and ice from Plains to mid-Atlantic as arctic cold temperatures will set in through mid-January
About 50 million Americans are under a winter weather warning, advisory or watch, the National Weather Service said.
Roughly 50 million Americans are under a winter weather warning, advisory or watch on Friday as a major winter storm is forecast to bring hazardous snow and ice affecting large parts of the contiguous U.S. through this weekend into Monday. Some areas could receive the greatest snowfall totals they've seen in decades, forecasters say.
Watches and warnings for snow and ice extend from Montana to New York. "Travel of all kinds will likely be very difficult and extremely dangerous across both the expected heavy snow and significant icing areas," according to the National Weather Services’s latest Friday update.
To see if your area is under a winter weather warning, watch or advisory, you can check the National Weather Service’s website by state by clicking on “Land areas with zones.”
Additionally, temperatures in the Midwest, East and Deep South will plunge as arctic cold surges are forecast for this weekend into early next week. The cold outbreak is expected to last through mid-January.
Where to expect wintry weather
North central to southeast Montana and northwest South Dakota will experience heavy snow, with snowfall totals forecast to be 4 to 6 inches through Saturday.
Saturday night into Sunday, the central Plains, lower Missouri Valley, mid-Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley will see heavy snowfall and significant ice develop. Snowfall totals from northeast Kansas, southeast Nebraska, northern Missouri, south-central Illinois, southern Indiana, northern Kentucky and southern Ohio could see snow totals of 8 or more. "Across these regions, the expected heavy snowfall may be the greatest in the past decade for some regions," according to the NWS.
While just to the south, ice accumulations of up to a quarter inch are possible from southeast Kansas, southern Missouri, southern Illinois, much of Kentucky, northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia.
Meanwhile, through Sunday, areas downwind of all the Great Lakes can expect heavy lake-effect snow to the east and southeast of Lake Ontario, forecasters say. Northeast Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania and portions of western and northwest New York state could see lake-effect snow totals in the 1 to 2 foot range, "creating very hazardous and extremely difficult driving conditions," according to the NWS's Friday bulletin.
Portions of Michigan that are downwind of lakes Superior and Michigan are forecast to get up to 4 to 6 inches. The upslope regions of the central Appalachians from western Pennsylvania into West Virginia and far western Maryland could see snow totals greater than 6 inches.
Cold surge to last through mid-January
Record cold isn’t expected, but temperatures will be uncomfortable, especially in the Deep South.
Deep Southern states like Alabama, Georgia, and North and South Carolina can expect temperatures to plunge into the 20s and 30s through the weekend. Temperatures in northern Florida will plunge into the 30s, while the central and southern parts of the Sunshine State can expect colder temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
By Monday, frigid temperatures in Oklahoma will plunge into the teens, and much of Texas will see 20s and 30s.
Following the weekend winter storm, the central Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley could see arctic temperatures as low as 0 degrees. Meanwhile, the highest temperatures in the Midwest will be in the 20s for the first full week of January.
By the middle of next week, much of the Southeast could experience frigid temperatures in the 20s. Kentucky, Tennessee and the Appalachians could see temperatures in the teens, while southern Florida will plunge into the 40s.
The cold surge is expected to last until the middle of the month.
