Snow, Ice On Tap This Weekend For Central US

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A​n expansive winter storm will spread snow and ice from the Plains to portions of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic this weekend into Monday, potentially snarling post holiday travel in multiple states.

T​his system has been named Winter Storm Blair by The Weather Channel.

(​MORE: 2024-25 Winter Storm Names)

W​here The Storm Is Now

F​rom there, the storm's low pressure will track eastward through the central and eastern U.S. this weekend into Monday, with its exact path determining what areas will see the heaviest snow as well as who might face accumulating ice.

(​MORE: Why Snowfall Forecast Sometimes Change)

T​iming

• S​aturday-Saturday Night: Through the day, much of the snow will be located in the northern and central Rockies. Snowfall and some ice will also begin to emerge into the Plains as well and increase into the evening, with wintry weather extending as far east as the mid-Mississippi valley overnight.
• Kansas City, St. Louis, and W​ichita, Kansas, could all face increasingly hazardous travel conditions, especially later Saturday.

• Sunday-Sunday Night:Snow, potentially heavy at times, will stretch near and either side of the the Interstate 70 corridor from Kansas to Ohio. Gusty winds will accompany the snow in some areas, leading to reduced visibility. A wintry mess of sleet, freezing and snow is expected just south of the area of heaviest snowfall, perhaps including from northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas to parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and Appalachians.
• T​ravel should be avoided throughout the areas where snow and ice is expected. That includes Cincinnati, Kansas City, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas City, and St. Louis, just to name a few cities.
• Sunday night, the storm's wintry weather will have spread as far east as the mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.
• (15-min details: For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)

• M​onday: While snow and ice totals are uncertain, we expect commuters to face wintry travel conditions to start the morning of the new workweek in the mid-Atlantic. Snow will also continue to impact parts of the Ohio Valley and Appalachians.
• B​altimore, Charleston, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. are some of the locations that should monitor the forecast closely.
• Overnight, much of storm's wintry weather will taper off from west-to-east, but leftover snow and ice on the ground could affect travel in some areas Tuesday morning.
• (192-hours: Further beef up your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on our Premium Pro experience.)

H​ow Much Snow And Ice To Expect

• There is a good chance this storm will deliver a stripe of snow totaling 6 inches or more in the Central Plains and Midwest, especially in the darker purple shaded areas of the map below from northeast Kansas into parts of Missouri, the southern halves of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and possibly northern Kentucky.
• I​n the mid-Atlantic, at least some light to moderate accumulating snowfall is possible, but it's too early for totals.

• I​ce in the form of sleet and freezing rain could be most problematic from central and southern Kansas into the Ohio Valley and Appalachians. Travel impacts are likely and we can't rule out at least some broken tree limbs and/or scattered power outages, though it's a bit early to provide those details.
• Since the storm's track is still not 100% certain, so the forecast for the biggest snow and ice totals could shift north or south. Check back for updates on weather.com and The Weather Channel app.

Chris Dolce has been a senior meteorologist with weather.com for over 10 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.