CNN
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A fast-hitting but strong winter storm could knock out power and create dangerous travel conditions from the Midwest to the Northeast as it brings heavy snow and strong winds, some of which are already underway.

The storm moved eastward Wednesday afternoon, extending its wintry conditions across more of the Great Lakes, the Midwest and parts of the interior Northeast. By Wednesday night it will extend across much of the Northeast and snow squalls will become one of the most dangerous impacts overnight into Thursday, particularly early in the day.

Snow squalls are violent but brief bursts of heavy snow and high winds that can seemingly appear out of nowhere to produce blinding, white-out conditions and are extremely dangerous for motorists.

“There is no safe place to be on a highway during a snow squall,” the Weather Prediction Center warned. “Hazardous travel conditions are likely, including poor visibility and rapidly deteriorating road conditions.” A snow squall was responsible for a 2022 pileup in Pennsylvania that involved 80 vehicles and killed six people.

A few squalls of snow blew across parts of North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin Wednesday morning and early afternoon.

Another hallmark of this storm will be strong winds that can knock out power and damage trees, particularly from the Appalachian Mountains and mid-Atlantic to the New England coast. Wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph will gust across the Northeast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, including in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City.

This storm’s snow will impact a much larger area than recent weeks’ storms, but should still avoid cities along the I-95 corridor in the Northeast. Most of the snow will again accumulate in elevated areas and downwind of the Great Lakes, where 5 feet of snow fell over the holiday weekend. The storm’s snow and lake effect could dump another 1 to 2 feet on areas where digging is still underway.

Light snowfall of up to 2.5 cm is possible in some lower elevations in the Northeast.

A few snowflakes could mix with rain at times along the Interstate 95 corridor. Snow is unlikely to accumulate near the coast, but wet roads and chilly air can lead to slippery spots and difficult driving.