A major winter storm is expected to hit much of the United States, dumping heavy snowfall from Kansas to Maryland and bringing to some areas what could be the heaviest snowfall in more than a decade.
Midwestern states, including Illinois, will likely be in the middle of the action as the “disruptive” winter storm moves eastward through the weekend and early next week, causing major travel impacts, blizzard conditions and a risk of significant ice formation, according to the National Weather Service.
“Impacts will begin in the Central Plains Saturday evening and then in the Ohio Valley on Sunday, where severe travel disruptions are expected,” the NWS said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter . “The storm will then move toward the Mid-Atlantic Sunday evening and Monday.”
Current forecast models show up to 12 inches of snow accumulation in parts of west-central Illinois, where a winter storm warning is expected to go into effect Saturday evening. According to the NWS, rapid accumulation of snow could make travel “very difficult or impossible” in a 17-county area including Quincy, Pittsfield and Edwardsville, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday morning.
Meteorologists are urging people to “exercise extreme caution” – if travel is necessary.
The rest of Illinois, excluding the northern third of the state, is unlikely to experience hazardous conditions, although a winter storm watch remains in effect through much of the weekend. Expected snow totals vary widely across the central part of the state, with values ranging from 0 to 12 inches, according to the NWS.
Similar conditions are expected in parts of north-central Indiana, just south of the NBC Chicago viewing area.
While snow impacts will begin Saturday evening in some states, a winter storm watch will not take effect for northern Indiana until Sunday evening. Heavy snow could bring accumulations of between 3 and 6 inches, the NWS said, urging drivers to prepare for slippery roads and blowing snow during Monday evening commutes.
It remains to be seen whether the Chicago region will be directly affected.
If the storm moves further north, it could cut off parts of the region Sunday into Monday.
“There is one set of models keeping the system completely south of the Chicago area, and another set of models bringing up to 3 inches of snow for us; with more snow for the Kankakee River Valley,” he said. said NBC Chicago meteorologist Kevin Jeanes.
According to the latest NWS projections, between 0 and 4 inches of snow are possible in communities like Kankakee and Pontiac.
Behind this storm, Arctic air will move down from Canada and temperatures for much of next week will be well below average across the Northern Plains to the Southeast, including the Chicago area.
NBC Chicago
