Blizzard warnings issued from Kansas to Ohio; Tornado risks loom in Mississippi valley
Live MintThe National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center has issued alerts for a major winter storm expected to impact large portions of the US this weekend, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, and severe weather from Saturday through Monday. Heavy snow and blizzard conditions According to the NWS, “Heavy snowfall is expected across areas from central Kansas to Ohio, especially along and north of Interstate 70, with a 60-90% chance of at least 8 inches of snow on Sunday.” The storm could deliver the heaviest snowfall in over a decade for some regions, with blizzard conditions developing over the Central Plains by Sunday morning. Severe thunderstorms in the South The Lower Mississippi Valley faces an Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms on Sunday, with the NWS stating that “frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes” are possible as the storm’s cold front advances. Great lakes and Northeast impacts The system will also generate heavy lake-effect snow downwind of Lake Ontario through Sunday morning, while moderate snow is expected near the Upper Great Lakes and Lake Erie.