Federal Forecasters Warn ‘Major’ Winter Storm to Sweep Across US Over Weekend

A map released by the National Weather Service on Jan. 3, 2025, shows winter advisories and warnings for a storm system that is slated to produce snow from Kanas to the Mid-Atlantic states. NWS

A “major” storm will produce “significant” effects across much of the United States starting on Friday and lasting until Monday, according to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), which issued advisories and warnings on Friday.

“A major winter storm will produce widespread significant impacts from the central Plains across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, and into the Mid-Atlantic region this weekend into Monday,” the NWS warned on its website.

Starting on Saturday, areas between central Kansas and Indiana—along Interstate 70—will see heavy snowfall, the agency said, adding that ice will form from eastern Kansas to the southern part of the Appalachian Mountain region. The system will then move eastward across a broad section of the East Coast, it said.

Areas north of Interstate 70 will likely see 8 inches of snow or greater, the NWS said.

“Furthermore, by Saturday afternoon, the lead front will move to the Southern High Plains and into the Southern Plains by Sunday. The storm will produce significant wintry weather, with impacts over the Central Plains by late Saturday and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Sunday,” the agency said.

“Additionally, the storm will create severe travel disruptions. Moreover, areas in the Central Plains and Central Mississippi Valley, especially along and north of Interstate 70, are likely to experience heavy snowfall, with a high chance of at least 6 inches of snow from late Saturday into Sunday.”

At the same time, the NWS warned that “significant sleet and freezing rain” will produce impacts in Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri before extending to the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys on Saturday and Sunday.

Maps released by the NWS show that a significant area between Kansas and Indiana will see 12–14 inches of snow between Friday and Monday.

“Treacherous travel conditions are expected with power outages likely in areas that receive over a quarter-inch of ice accumulation,” the NWS said on social media platform X on Thursday evening.

On Friday, winter storm watches, advisories, and warnings were in effect in Kansas, southern Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, nearly all of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, a small section of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, western New York, southern New Jersey, and a sliver of North Carolina.

Advisories and warnings were also in effect for Washington state, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Northern California.

The NWS said on Friday that rain will develop over the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley overnight on Saturday, with some thunderstorms developing by Sunday morning.

In New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned on Thursday that areas in western and upstate New York may see 1–3 feet of lake-effect snow through Sunday.

“Our agencies continue to work around the clock in coordination with our local partners as we respond to significant snowfall, strong winds and colder temperatures that are expected across much of the State through the weekend,” Hochul said.

“I encourage everyone to monitor your local forecast and stay alert as conditions can rapidly change or worsen.”