60 million people under weather alert as winter storm targets Plains to mid-Atlantic

About 60 million people are under weather alerts, from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic, as a winter storm threatens to hit the region with heavy snow and crippling ice.

The developing low pressure system is expected to affect regions over the next three days and includes cities such as Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis and Indianapolis.

The Rocky Mountains and central and northern Plains will be hit with heavy snow, strong winds and freezing rain. Cities expected to be affected include Wichita, Kansas City and Omaha. Blizzard-like conditions are possible due to the combination of heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts.

“A wintry mix could begin as early as this afternoon and transition to snow Sunday afternoon,” the National Weather Service’s Kansas City field office said on X. “Wind gusts around 35 to 40 mph Sunday could result in possible blizzard conditions.”

Sunday morning, the system will move across the Central Plains, bringing heavy snow and ice from Kansas to the mid-Mississippi Valley. The storm system will gradually move eastward throughout the day, with the greatest impacts targeting Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

Sunday will also bring a severe weather risk to the Lower Mississippi Valley, putting seven million people at risk of tornadoes, damaging winds and hail, including in Jackson, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lake Charles.

Snow will arrive in the Mid-Atlantic region and central Appalachians overnight Monday morning. These showers will persist through Monday and end Tuesday morning as the system moves offshore. Areas affected Monday include Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Kansas, Missouri and Illinois are expected to receive the highest snowfall, ranging from 9 to 16 inches. General snowfall of 4 to 9 inches will extend from parts of Illinois into the Mid-Atlantic, with heavier accumulations possible in parts of the central Appalachians.

A severe freeze will extend from Kansas to Virginia, where power outages, damaged trees and impossible travel conditions can be expected. Generally, totals will range from 0.1 to 0.4 inches of ice, with extreme amounts of 0.5 to 0.75 inches possible in parts of Missouri, southern Illinois and Kentucky.

In the wake of this system, a significant drop in temperatures is expected for the eastern two-thirds of the country. Maximum temperatures will drop 10 to 25 degrees below average starting Sunday and continuing through Friday. Highs will range from 10% to 10% across the Plains and Midwest, with temperatures of 20% to 30% expected for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

The most extreme temperatures will be found in the Northern Plains, where overnight minimum temperatures will drop to -20 degrees, with wind chill values ​​around -40 degrees. Cold weather advisories are in place from eastern Montana to Minnesota.