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A massive winter storm is set to impact 62 million people across the United States from Saturday (January 4) through Monday (January 6). The storm will stretch over 1,300 miles, bringing snow, ice, rain, and severe thunderstorms to the Midwest and Northeast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade for some areas.
The storm will begin in the Central Plains on Saturday, moving eastward to the Ohio Valley by Sunday and reaching the Mid-Atlantic by Monday. The Midwest, including states like Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, is expected to see over a foot of snow. Areas with temperatures above freezing, such as the central Atlantic seaboard, may experience severe thunderstorms.
Governors in affected states are taking precautions. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency, urging residents to stay alert and prepare for the storm. Missouri Governor Mike Parson has put the National Guard on standby. Major cities like Chicago, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C., are pretreating roads and setting up warming centers.
The storm is expected to cause significant disruptions, including travel delays and power outages. The National Weather Service (NWS) warns of dangerous driving conditions and widespread closures. The NWS Weather Prediction Center indicates that the most extreme conditions will likely occur along the Interstate 70 Corridor, affecting cities like St. Louis and Indianapolis.
The storm will exit the East Coast by Monday night, but temperatures are expected to plunge, with the eastern U.S. experiencing temperatures 30 degrees below normal. The cold snap could last until mid-January.
Lake-effect snow is also forecast to dump up five feet of snow across parts of the Great Lakes. Over 17 inches of snow has already fallen in Erie, Pennsylvania, as of Saturday morning, while parts of upstate New York were reporting more than 30 inches of snow.
"Snowfall totals are likely to become even more impressive as snow continues downwind of Lake Ontario into Sunday," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Feerick.