Forecasters are warning that a “major mid-March blizzard” is expected to develop over the northern High Plains Friday night into Saturday before it “rapidly” strengthens and tracks into the Great Lakes on Sunday, bringing strong winds, blizzard conditions, and potentially record-breaking snowfall.
In an update on Friday, meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center (WPC) said a broad zone of heavy snow is forecast to stretch from Montana east through the northern Plains and Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes. Snowfall rates of one to three inches per hour are possible within stronger bands from southern Minnesota to northern Michigan, resulting in widespread totals of one to two feet. Isolated areas could see even higher amounts, with some locations potentially setting two-day snowfall records, it added.
Heavy snowfall and blowing snow will likely persist in the Great Lakes region through Monday, it said.
“This heavy snow will combine with strong winds gusting 30–50 mph to produce significant blowing and drifting snow. Travel will be dangerous to impossible at times due to whiteout conditions. Power outages are possible,” the agency cautioned.
Additionally, the WPC said an area of mixed precipitation, including freezing rain, is likely south of the heaviest snow. “Significant” ice in excess of a quarter of an inch is possible across northern lower Michigan, it added.
“This is shaping up to be one of the most expansive and impactful storms that the United States has experienced so far this year,” senior meteorologist John Feerick said in an email from AccuWeather sent to Newsweek on Friday. “We’re expecting everything from blizzard conditions in the Midwest to severe thunderstorms and damaging winds stretching all the way to the East Coast. Millions of people could be impacted by travel delays, power outages, business shutdowns and school closures, even after the storm exits.”
“The combination of heavy snow and strong winds could make travel extremely dangerous in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan where visibility may drop to near zero during the height of the storm,” Feerick said.
“Far from the snow zone, the storm’s wind field alone could cause major issues. Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph across dozens of states may lead to scattered power outages and hazardous travel conditions. Severe thunderstorms are expected from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast. Storms will be capable of producing widespread damaging wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes.”
AccuWeather estimated that more than 4,000 flights could be canceled between Sunday and Tuesday.
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