What we know so far
- A major winter storm moving eastward from the Plains to the mid-Atlantic is expected to bring snow, sleet, ice and gusty winds to some areas in its path.
- Millions are under blizzard warnings through tonight in parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
- The National Weather Service warned of “considerable disruptions to daily life,” including “dangerous or impossible driving conditions and widespread closures,” making travel “very difficult to impossible” throughout the day.
- Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia are among the major Northeastern cities preparing for snowy and icy conditions today and into tomorrow, with parts of Virginia expecting 5 to 12 inches of snow.
- Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and damaging winds could hit Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other Southern states tonight.
Snow Belt hit by accumulations, but not from the same storm
Meanwhile, the Snow Belt south of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario experienced heavy snow of its own over the weekend, but from a phenomenon separate from the storm in the Plains, the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic.
Cities from Cleveland to Watertown, New York, were covered in 2 to 4 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, according to National Weather Service data.
The weather service cites lake effect snow, which is created when cold air moves over the relatively warm Great Lakes, pulls water into the atmosphere and then rapidly releases snow, sometimes at 2 to 3 inches per hour.
While the weekend's lake effect snow was tapering off in Buffalo, New York, the weather service there said the storm wreaking havoc in places like Missouri and Kansas was passing to the south and could help spin up more lake effect snow Monday.
"Even so, additional accumulations will be less than an inch at most locations," it said in a forecast discussion.
Buffalo, where a low temperature of 20 degrees was expected early Monday, activated its Code Blue precautions that seek to provide outreach, transportation, shelter and warm meals to those who may need them when it's dangerously cold.
On Sunday, the city said in a statement, two additional shelters were opened overnight and a daytime warming center was scheduled to be activated for Monday.
Anthony J. Picente Jr., the executive of Oneida County, New York, declared a state of emergency that prohibits unnecessary travel for county workers and describes the lake effect weather as "a significant snow event."
Kansas City, Missouri, is one of the larger cities hit hard by this weekend's storm, with parts of the region registering a foot of snow in 24 hours and as much as 14 inches expected by the time it moves completely out.
"This is going to be one of the most historic, significant storms that Kansas City has ever seen," City Manager Brian Platt said as he operated a snow plow today.
The last time a storm produced more than 10 inches of snow in the area, he said, was February 1993. Advances in forecasting, however, have helped the city prepare days ahead, he said.
"We started pretreating our roads Friday, 36 hours in advance of any snowfall or ice, just to make sure that we were as prepared as we possibly could," Platt said.
"We're being very aggressive with this," he said.
Snowfall amounts show breadth of storm's reach
The weekend's storm produced healthy amounts of snow in the Plains and the Midwest as it moves into the mid-Atlantic states tonight.
National Weather Service 24-hour snow totals show 6.5 inches in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri; 8 inches in St. Rose, Illinois; and 9.5 inches in Chatham, Illinois.
Farther east, Indianapolis has gotten 1 to 2 inches depending on geography; Mount Washington, Kentucky, has had nearly 8 inches; and Grayson, Kentucky, measured 6 inches, according to weather service data.
In Virginia, the storm has produced 4 inches of snow in New Castle, a little more than 2 inches in Reams and nearly 3 at Fort Gregg-Adams, an Army garrison.
More is expected in the mid-Atlantic overnight.
Videos, photos shows snow in Virginia
Today's perilous winter storm has reached the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Photos and videos posted on X show large flakes of snow falling in Roanoke, Virginia, and what looks like ice formed on a street there this evening.
The low pressure system that has wreaked havoc in parts of Missouri and Kansas is moving into the mid-Atlantic and bringing with it snow, sleet and possible power outages as ice could accumulate on utility lines, the National Weather Service said.
"Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice," the weather service office in Silver Spring, Maryland said in a series of statements. "Bitterly cold temperatures are expected beginning Monday night."
Federal offices, Smithsonian museums closed tomorrow in Washington, D.C.
Most nonemergency federal workers in Washington, D.C., were told tonight to stay home tomorrow as a treacherous winter storm moves in from points southwest.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said in a statement that emergency workers, telework employees and remote staff members based in the Washington area are expected to work as scheduled but that non-telework employees will generally be "granted weather and safety leave."
All Smithsonian museums in the Washington area, including the National Zoo, will also be closed tomorrow because of the weather.
The storm, which was expected to bring as much as 15 inches of snow to parts of the Central Plains, was also producing blizzard and icy conditions and churning hazardous winds as it headed into the mid-Atlantic.
It has also prompted officials to urge motorists to say off roads.
Driving 'impossible' in Missouri as officials urge people to stay off roads
Officials are doing their best to keep motorists off blizzard-affected roads in Missouri, where visibility at times has been reduced to a quarter-mile and a major roadway has been closed because of snow.
The National Weather Service office for Kansas City, Missouri, warned residents to stay off the roads for all but the most urgent needs.
"You may not even be able to get there if you wanted to," it said. "Stay home, stay warm, and stay safe."
In a statement, the Missouri Transportation Department quoted the weather service as saying road travel will be "impossible" overnight as multiple inches of snow hit the ground and ice develops in parts of the state.
Interstate 29 north of Kansas City was shut down today "due to treacherous conditions," the Missouri State Highway Patrol said on X.
Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri, reported blizzard conditions and quarter-mile visibility this morning, the weather service said.
A wireless emergency alert was sent to residents of bordering Kansas also urging them not to drive, according to the weather service.
Philadelphia public schools and government offices will close tomorrow
Philadelphia will close all of its public schools and government offices tomorrow because of the impending severe weather, Mayor Cherelle Parker's office said in a statement.
A winter storm warning will be in effect from 1 a.m. tomorrow through 1 a.m. Tuesday in the area covering Philadelphia, other parts of Southeast Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware.
Around 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected in the region, according to a National Weather Service forecast.
First winter storm of 2025 could bring blizzard conditions, historic snow, ice
A National Weather Service bulletin this afternoon about the weekend storm bringing misery to a wide swath of the United States details its wide-ranging impacts, from record snowfall to ice in the South.
A low pressure system moving from west to east is responsible for the upheaval, including "significant snow and ice" from the central Plains to the mid-Atlantic, the weather service said today.
The bulletin summarizes the worst of it: "Heavy snowfall and wind gusts will create blizzard conditions in the Central Plains and freezing rain is forecast from central Kansas through the central Appalachians. Severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening from the Sabine River Valley into the lower Mississippi Valley."
Blizzard conditions in the Central Plains will be punctuated by snow amounts of as much as 15 inches — the most in a decade, the weather service said. Dangerous ice accumulations are possible from Kansas to the mid-South, it said.
The storm should reach the East Coast overnight, with "major impacts" for mid-Atlantic communities starting in the morning, the weather service said.
It is being chased by an Arctic cold wave that is expected to plunge “feels like” temperatures in central and north Texas into the teens and the single digits early in the morning.
New Jersey's governor declares state of emergency
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for several storm-hit counties.
The state will enter emergency status at 10 p.m., Murphy's office said, citing incoming "heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain, high wind gusts, and freezing temperatures."
Counties covered by the declaration include Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. The declaration allows quick deployment of resources, the governor's office said.
“Throughout our state, we are experiencing severe winter weather resulting in hazardous conditions, with snowfall expected to reach a high of six to eight inches in our southern counties,” Murphy said in the statement.
The weather could affect morning or evening commutes and make travel difficult, he said.
"Drivers should stay off the roads if possible, remain alert, and follow all safety protocols," Murphy said.
Louisville mayor announces cancellations in the area
Mayor Craig Greenberg listed a number of cancellations in the Louisville, Kentucky, area due to the snowy weather at an afternoon news conference.
He said public schools in Jefferson County, where Louisville is located, will be closed tomorrow, as well as a lot of others in the area. Greenberg did not name other counties canceling classes.
Greenberg also said the Transit Authority of River City, the major public transportation provider for the city, is suspending its evening routes.
Meals on Wheels has been suspended. Greenberg hopes to get it back up and running when it's safe to do so.
Despite the cancellations, Greenberg said, there have been no material power outages across the county, and the biggest risk going forward is ice, as snow and freezing rain continues to fall.
Greenberg reminded residents to stay home if possible and to stay warm, safe and connected.
He also said that just because a street has been plowed does not mean it is safe to drive on. With snow and freezing rain continuing to fall, those pathways could be covered again.