Major Winter Storm, Blizzard Conditions to Hit at Least a Dozen States, Forecasters Warn

‘For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,’ the weather service said.

A county truck with a snowplow drives down a road in Shawnee, Kan., on Jan. 5, 2025. Chase Castor/Getty Images

A blast of snow, ice, wind, and plummeting temperatures produced dangerous travel scenarios in areas across the central United States on Jan. 5 because of a heavy winter storm that is slated to move east to the Mid-Atlantic states, as multiple governors declared states of emergency.

Snowfall and ice blanketed major roadways in parts of Kansas and Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help any stuck motorists. At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, while the National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter storm warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to New Jersey into Jan. 6.