Winter storm warnings have been issued in four states as meteorologists predict nearly 18 inches of snow in some areas Thursday through Friday morning.
Affected states include parts of Wyoming, Colorado, New York and Vermont.
Travel could become very dangerous in these locations, and wind gusts of 50 miles per hour in Vermont and New York could topple tree limbs and power lines, potentially causing sporadic outages, the National Weather Service warned.
Those winds could also reduce visibility on roads by blowing snow, the agency added.
“If you must travel, make sure you have an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” officials advised.
New York and Vermont are expected to see the heaviest snowfall, with amounts ranging from 4 to 12 inches.
Snowfall totals in Wyoming range from one to four inches, and Colorado could see six to twelve inches.
Winter storm warnings have been issued in four states as meteorologists predict nearly 18 inches of snow in some areas Thursday through Friday morning.
In New York, counties like Saint Lawrence, Franklin and Clinton are in the path of this storm, and Vermont counties including Chittenden and Lamoille, among others, will also be affected.
These states will remain under a winter storm warning until 7 a.m. ET Friday.
In Wyoming, the alert is in effect in the following mountain areas: the Salt River Range, Wyoming Range, the Tetons, the Gros Ventre Mountains, the Sierra Madre Range and the Snowy Range.
The Salt River and Wyoming Ranges can expect two to four inches of snow and wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour.
“Travel may be very difficult, including over Salt River Pass,” the NWS warned.
One to five inches could accumulate in the Tetons and Gros Ventre Mountains, impacting morning traffic on Teton Pass and Togwotee Pass.
The Snowy Range and Sierra Madre Range will see the most snowfall, including the cities of Albany and Centennial. Between 15 and 25 centimeters are expected in these areas, with wind gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour.
“Outdoor recreation can become dangerous for people who are unprepared for dangerous winter conditions. Hunters, hikers and snowmobilers may become disoriented and lost due to poor visibility during falling and blowing snow,” the NWS said.
The winter storm warning remains in effect until 5:00 PM MST Thursday for this region, and until 11:00 AM MST Thursday for the Salt River and Wyoming ranges, as well as the Tetons and Gros Ventre Mountains.
In Colorado, the Elkhead and Park Mountains and Rabbit Ears Pass in the northern Rockies are under alert. This includes the cities of Columbine, Hahns Peak, Toponas and Mt. Zirkel.
Columbine, Hahns Peak and Toponas can expect 8 to 12 inches of snow “with locally higher amounts possible” and wind gusts of 40 miles per hour.
Counties in Colorado, Wyoming, New York and Vermont, highlighted in bright pink, are currently under a winter storm warning
Six to 12 inches of snowfall is forecast for Mt. Zirkel and Rabbit Ears Pass, as well as wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour.
The advisories come as meteorologists track a new winter storm that will spread snow and ice across a 1,500-mile swath of the US.
The storm arrives in the Great Plains this weekend and ends along the Atlantic coast next week.
“The storm will be the first widespread winter storm of the season in the central and eastern United States and will negatively impact travel during the final days of the holidays,” said Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. reported.
Right now, meteorologists are predicting a major snowstorm from much of Nebraska to southern and central Ohio and West Virginia, with an accumulation of three to six inches.
Heavier snowfall totaling 6 to 12 inches — and possibly more in some areas — will cover much of the Interstate 70 corridor from northern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska to southern Ohio.
Major cities expecting several inches include Topeka, Kansas; St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri; Springfield, Ill.; Indianapolis and Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio.
Maximum snowfall could reach as much as 3 feet anywhere from northern Missouri to west-central Illinois and northeastern Kansas.
The advisories come as meteorologists monitor another winter storm that will spread snow and ice across a 1,500-mile swath of the U.S.
But snow isn’t the only thing the American Heartland will have to worry about this weekend.
A devastating ice storm could hit southeastern Kansas to southern Missouri, southern Illinois and southern and central Kentucky, Sosnowski reported.
“A heavy layer of ice can knock down many trees and power lines that can block roads. Some communities could lose power for days if dangerously cold air moves in in the wake of the storm,” he said.
‘There may be a great need to set up shelters to take into account the population that could be affected.’
Once the storm reaches the Appalachians and the Atlantic coast, major cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Baltimore will be in its path.
Icy conditions could extend to parts of North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and southern parts of Virginia, potentially impacting the cities of Richmond, Virginia; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Traveling in these areas is likely to be dangerous.