A winter storm with “the potential to be historic” is eyeing a large strip of the U.S. and it appears Illinois and the Chicago area could now be a part of its path.
While confidence surrounding the snowy and icy system’s track and intensity remain uncertain, new projections appear to have the storm shifting slightly north, which could leave the Chicago area on the outer edge.
The system has the potential to bring large scale power outages and dump more than a foot of snow in several states.
Millions of Americans from New Mexico to the Carolinas are bracing for a potentially catastrophic ice storm that could crush trees and power lines and knock out power for days, while Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible, forecasters say.
“The set up is there for major travel disruptions, record snowfall and significant ice accumulations to knock out power… I don’t say this lightly,” NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes said.
An estimated 100 million people were under some type of winter weather watch, warning or advisory on Wednesday ahead of the storm, the National Weather Service said.
The storm, expected to begin Friday and continue through the weekend, is also projected to bring heavy snow and all types of wintry precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet. An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast and continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas before heading northeast, forecasters said.
In Washington, D.C., “the combination of heavy snow and ice alongside prolonged very cold temperatures presents a unique and significant risk to life and property across virtually the entire region,” forecasters said in the weather service’s Washington/Baltimore office warned.
Will the snow storm hit Illinois?
In parts of Illinois, “significant snowfall” is expected as the project path of the storm shifts north.
“The risk for significant snowfall has increased,” the NWS in Lincoln, Illinois, reported, noting that the dangerous sleet and accumulating ice are not expected to hit the state.
Areas near and south of Interstate 70 are expected to see the highest totals, with two rounds of snow expected.
The first round arrives around midday Saturday, leaving a brief break during the overnight hours before a second and possibly more impactful round begins mid-morning on Sunday and continues into the early evening.
While conditions aren’t expected to be nearly as bad in northern Illinois, the NWS reported “increasing potential for accumulating snow and associated travel impacts to reach northern IL and northwest IN over the weekend.” Still, the agency and the NBC 5 Storm Team note that “uncertainty remains.”
“It is still too early to narrow down specific details with this system,” the NWS wrote on X.
Jeanes said if the latest projections prove true, the Chicago area could be in for anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of snow through the weekend.
The snowy conditions would follow some of the coldest temperatures the Chicago area has seen in years, with wind chills near -40 degrees possible.
The frigid temperatures and Arctic air on the way on the way are likely to break records, Jeanes said. Such conditions could lead to frostbite in as little as 10 minutes.
An extreme cold warning was issued for the entire Chicago area this week, with some schools already announcing closures.
From the cold to the snow to the ice, Jeanes warned anyone in the winter storm’s path to take precautions.
“Stay safe, avoid travel if possible this weekend and have a plan in case of power outages,” he said.
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