A storm will bring dangerous ice from the plains to the east coast
The First Day of the Coldest Air of the Season: Snowfall Forecast for Mid-America and Mid-Suddell, Illinois, and Indiana, with the National Weather Service
The first weekend of 2025 will have the coldest air of the season, according to the National Weather Service. The first significant winter storm of the year is expected to impact 62 million people.
“The snow will significantly reduce visibilities, and snowfall amounts will surpass 15 inches (the heaviest in a decade), which will make travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads,” the NWS says. A band of 8-16 inches of snow is expected to move from northeast Missouri through the central Appalachians and into southern Illinois and Indiana.
The storm is forecast to hit the mid-Atlantic by Sunday night. Areas that have warmer temperatures are expected to have storms. Texas is still recovering from last month’s deadly storms and could also be affected by the storm.
It has been declared emergencies in Virginia and Kentucky. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued a “state of preparedness” on Saturday.
Youngkin said that he is encouraging everyone to stay alert, monitor the weather forecast, and prepare now for any potential impacts.
According to the NWS Weather prediction Center, the most extreme weather will likely occur in places along the I 70 Corridor which goes through St. Louis and Indianapolis.
The mid-South has a significant icing potential this weekend. Icing is when rain freezes on contact with the ground. It can affect cars and car windows.
A thin layer of ice can cause dangerous road conditions for vehicles and pedestrians. Thicker layers of ice can cause power outages and make roads impassable. Last year, a January ice storm left thousands without power, and first responders struggled to get to those who needed help.
A quarter to a half inch of freezing rain is possible in the middle Mississippi/Ohio Valley region where Illinois, Indiana and Missouri are located.
A Weather Storm in Kansas: It’s Time to Get Out of Your Home, And Is It Safe To Travel In The Moments Of Its First Storms?
Across Kansas there have been “at least 212 calls of service where troopers were responding somewhere to help someone” between 6:00 a.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday morning, according to Trooper Ben Gardner, public information officer for the Kansas Highway Patrol, who goes by Trooper Ben. There has also been “at least one fatality crash” the Kansas Highway Patrol has responded to, Ben tells NPR.
“KDOT’s out here trying to get the roadways cleared, salting and blading the roadways, and we will continue to do so as the storm moves through our state,” he says.
Officials are warning those being impacted by the storm over the next few days to take precautions. If you are in the path of a snow or ice storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator says to listen to your local officials and stay off the roads.
“Once it arrives, it’s best just to sit in your home, stay safe, watch the local weather and news, and be able to be aware of when it’s best to get out of your home and to make those travels again,” he says. “Because it’s not a good time to travel.” It’s time to stay home.”
