A winter storm has blanketed a swath of the Midwest with snow and ice, bringing strong winds and intense cold to millions of Americans in a region bracing for winter weather this week.

While much of the wintry mix had eased by Friday morning, slippery roads were expected to complicate road conditions in several Midwestern states. The National Weather Service said in its forecast Friday morning that a storm moving southeast from Canada was expected to weaken along the lower Great Lakes, “with persistent periods of snow across much of the region.”

Accuweather said 1 to 3 inches of dry, fluffy snow was expected to fall across southern North Dakota and much of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. However, higher totals were predicted for some parts of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions.

A region from eastern North Dakota to central Minnesota was in a zone that could see larger snowflakes that could accumulate quickly. And both Minneapolis and Fargo, North Dakota, were expected to have seen up to half a foot of snow, Accuweather said.

In wintry weather, 15 people were injured, six seriously, in North Dakota early Thursday when a truck attempting to stop at an intersection skidded on an icy road, causing a collision with a pickup truck and a truck, according to the State Highway Patrol SUV caused. According to the highway police, the accident occurred in strong winds, blowing snow and sleet near Reeder, about 180 kilometers southwest of Bismarck.

A snow plow was also hit by a passing car on Thursday, the patrol said.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol issued a “no-travel alert” urging motorists to stay off the roads, which temporarily included a total ban on larger vehicles and “oversized loads.”

Northeast winds were also expected to bring more lake snow to the northeast coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

A winter weather advisory remained in effect for the Detroit area Friday morning as another 3 inches of snow is expected in the region through Friday night, the weather service said. Temperatures were also expected to drop significantly by Saturday.

Another inch of snow was expected in the Chicago area Friday morning, potentially leaving untreated roads covered or slippery, the weather service said.

Winds are forecast to push the storm quickly through the Northeast through Friday night.

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Snow forecast for Detroit, Michigan

Snow forecast for Chicago, Illinois

Snow forecast for Bismarck, North Dakota

Snow forecast for Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Snow forecast for Twin Cities, Minnesota

National snow forecast map

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Winter weather forecasts

National Weather Radar

Contributors: Anthony Robledo, James Powel, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and breaking news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snow forecast: Maps show forecast snowfall in MN, MI, WI, IL, ND