Approximately 60 million individuals are currently under weather alerts spanning from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic region, as a winter storm looms, threatening to unleash heavy snow and paralyzing ice on the affected areas. The impending low-pressure system is expected to impact these regions for the next three days, encompassing major cities like Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.
The Rocky Mountains, as well as the central and northern Plains, are poised to be hammered by significant snowfall, fierce winds, and icy conditions. Locations such as Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City; and Omaha, Nebraska are bracing for the storm’s impact. The anticipated convergence of heavy snow and strong wind gusts could create blizzard-like conditions.
The National Weather Service’s field office based in Kansas City has issued a warning that a wintry mix may commence as early as this afternoon, transitioning into snow by Sunday afternoon. Wind gusts reaching 35-40 mph on Sunday have the potential to incite blizzard conditions.
Come Sunday morning, the system will progress over the central Plains, ushering in heavy snow and ice from Kansas through the mid-Mississippi Valley. The storm’s trajectory will shift eastward throughout the day, with Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky set to bear the brunt of its impact.
Sunday will also usher in a severe weather threat across the lower Mississippi Valley, placing approximately 7 million individuals at risk of tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail in locales like Jackson, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Snowfall is anticipated to reach the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians overnight into Monday morning, with these wintry conditions persisting through Monday and dissipating by Tuesday morning as the system moves off the coast. Areas slated for impact on Monday include Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.
Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois are projected to receive the highest snowfall accumulations, ranging from 9 to 16 inches. A general 4 to 9 inches of snowfall is expected to stretch from portions of Illinois to the mid-Atlantic, with higher accumulation potentials in sections of the central Appalachians.
Significant icing is forecasted to span from Kansas to Virginia, where power outages, tree damage, and treacherous travel conditions are likely. Anticipated ice totals range from 0.1 to 0.4 inches, with extreme amounts of 0.5 to 0.75 inches possible in parts of Missouri, southern Illinois, and Kentucky.
Following the storm’s passage, a notable drop in temperatures is foreseen for the eastern two-thirds of the nation. Highs are projected to plummet 10 to 25 degrees below average starting Sunday and persisting through Friday. High temperatures will vary from the single digits and teens across the Plains and Midwest to the 20s and 30s in the mid-Atlantic and
