A widespread winter storm will spread snow and ice from the Plains to parts of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic this weekend through Monday, potentially complicating post-holiday travel in several states.

This system was named Winter Storm Blair by the Weather Channel.

(​MORE: 2024-25 winter storm names)

Where the storm is now

From there, the storm’s low pressure will track eastward across the central and eastern U.S. this weekend into Monday, with its precise trajectory determining which areas will see the heaviest snow and who may face ice accumulations.

(​MORE: Why the snowfall forecast sometimes changes)

timing

• Saturday-Saturday night: As the day progresses, much of the snow will be in the northern and central Rockies. Snowfall and some ice will also appear across the Plains and increase through the evening, with wintry weather extending as far east as the mid-Mississippi Valley overnight.
• Kansas City, St. Louis and W​ichita, Kansas, could all face increasingly dangerous travel conditions, especially later Saturday.

• Sunday-Sunday evening: Heavy snow will occur at times near and on both sides of the Interstate 70 corridor from Kansas to Ohio. In some cases the snow will bring gusty winds, leading to limited visibility. A wintry mess of sleet, frost and snow is expected south of the heaviest snowfall area, possibly from northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas to parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and Appalachia.
• Travel should be avoided in areas where snow and ice are expected. These include Cincinnati, Kansas City, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas City and St. Louis, just to name a few cities.
• By Sunday evening, the storm’s wintry weather will have spread to the east of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.
• (15-minute details: For even more detailed weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute detailed forecast in our Premium Pro Experience.)

• Monday: While total snow and ice amounts are uncertain, we expect commuters to expect wintry travel conditions in the Mid-Atlantic beginning the morning of the new work week. Snow will also continue to affect portions of the Ohio Valley and the Appalachian Mountains.
• Baltimore, Charleston, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC are some of the locations that should closely monitor the forecast.
• Overnight, much of the storm’s wintry weather will ease from west to east, but remnants of snow and ice on the ground could impact travel in some areas Tuesday morning.
• (192 hours: Optimize your forecast even further with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on our website Premium Pro Experience.)

How much snow and ice can we expect?

• There is a good chance that this storm will deliver a swath of snow totaling 6 inches or more across the Central Plains and Midwest, particularly in the darker purple shaded areas of the map below from northeastern Kansas into parts of Missouri, the southern halves from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and possibly northern Kentucky.
• At least some light to moderate snowfall is possible in the Mid-Atlantic, but it is still too early for overall numbers.

• Ice in the form of sleet and freezing rain could be most problematic from central and southern Kansas to the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians. Travel impacts are likely and we cannot rule out at least some broken tree branches and/or isolated power outages, although it is a little early to announce these details.
• Since the direction of the storm is still not 100% certain, the forecast for the greatest amounts of snow and ice could shift to the north or south. Check back for updates on Weather.com and The Weather Channel app.

Chris Dolce has been a senior meteorologist at Weather.com for over 10 years, having started his career at The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.