Major winter storm threatens Midwest, Mid-Atlantic with heavy weekend snow

FOX Weather reports a major winter storm system is moving toward the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, expected to hit during the weekend and early next week. FOX Weather notes that while forecasters are increasingly confident about the storm's development, they are still working to pinpoint its exact timing and path.

FOX Weather reports that Kansas is under a Winter Storm Watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday, with forecasters expecting a mix of dangerous winter conditions including freezing drizzle, rain, sleet, and snow. The weather service warns that snow and sleet could pile up more than four inches deep, with ice building up thicker than one-tenth of an inch. Strong winds up to 35 mph could create dangerous near-blizzard conditions with blowing and drifting snow.

The news outlet explains that the storm's effects will first be felt in the northern Plains on Friday before spreading to the central Plains, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, and mid-Atlantic states. The central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley regions, especially areas north of Interstate 70, are expected to receive the heaviest snowfall, which could seriously disrupt travel and cause power failures.

FOX Weather warns about a significant ice storm threat across the mid-South region, stretching from southern Kansas and the Ozarks to the Tennessee Valley. They caution that ice and sleet accumulating on trees and power lines could lead to widespread blackouts and make roads extremely dangerous.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the storm will intensify on Sunday as it moves into the Plains. Its timeline shows the central Plains and lower Ohio Valley experiencing mixed snow and ice on Sunday, followed by similar conditions spreading to the Ohio Valley, mid-South, central Appalachians, and possibly the mid-Atlantic region by nightfall. While the storm is predicted to weaken as it crosses the Appalachian Mountains on Monday, FOX Weather indicates that winter conditions will likely continue across the mid-Atlantic and possibly extend as far south as the Carolinas.