Nearly 40 million people were on Tuesday under 17-year-old warnings in the 17 states from southern Utah to Michigan. A second, more southerly storm will add to the mix midweek.
The storm will bring heavy snow across the Middle East on Tuesday, including Chicago and Minneapolis.
Rain and possible freezing rain will push in parts of Iowa and northern Missouri, making the roads very slippery. The weight of the frozen precipitate can drop the limbs and power lines, which can cause power outages.
During the night, snow may move over in Chicago and then rain by Wednesday morning. This will have a huge impact on commuters.
“Some power outages are possible due to the combined effects of wet snow accumulation, some icing and gusts up to 30 km / h,” the Chicago National Weather Service said.
The National Weather Service also warns: “The heavy, wet nature of the snow can be difficult to kick, especially where a few inches accumulate.”
The agency predicts 2 to 5 inches of snow and sleet for the Chicago area, along with one to two-tenths of ice.
The heaviest snowfall could be up to 10 inches for parts of Iowa, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin until Wednesday.
The second storm
A second storm system will move in on the south side of the current storm midweek, which will improve snow and storms throughout the South until New Year’s Eve.
“There will be a fairly clear separation between air masses along the Mississippi River, with warmer-than-average temperatures in the eastern half, with cooler temperatures in the west,” CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.
It will set up an area of nasty weather of all kinds as several storm systems move along this border.
“Parts of the central plains in the Midwest, especially that stretch from Kansas through Missouri and into the Great Lakes, could see a sustained period of icy rain and ice on Wednesday and again on Friday,” Miller said.
This can lead to some treacherous travel conditions, especially along the Interstate 70 and Interstate 80 lanes.
Snow and ice can fall as far south as Texas. The National Weather Service in Midland / Odessa is forecasting 2 to 10 inches of snow for that part of Texas through Thursday morning.
Severe weather risk
Rain and storms will also be a problem for millions this week. Heavy rain will fall into much of the Deep South, Ohio Valley and parts of the Northeast until Thursday night, bringing 1 to 3 inches of rain to cities like Oklahoma City and Little Rock, Arkansas, by about an inch rain through much of the Ohio Valley.
The Storm Forecast Center predicts a slight risk of severe storms, including possible tornadoes, on the Gulf Coast on Thursday for more than 7 million people. These areas include New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi.
The severe threat shifts Friday to parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Midnight conditions on New Year’s Eve
Snow and rain will remain for many to ring in the new year.
In terms of temperature, the big cities in the northeast will see temperatures in the mid-30s.
Expect rain at midnight to stretch from the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast and parts of the Southern Plains. Midnight temperatures will be in the mid to upper 50s for Charlotte and Atlanta. New Orleans will be wet with temps in the mid to upper 60s.
On New Year’s Eve, there may be snow in central Texas and the possibility of ice over parts of Oklahoma.
Conditions in the West will be much calmer.
Temperatures in southern and central California will be in the mid-50s, with temperatures in the mid-40s and rain for the Northwest Pacific. The Central Rockies will soar in the mid to upper 20s, with quiet midnight conditions.