Millions face snow and ice as a major winter storm moves across the U.S.

By Chandelis Duster

Published January 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM CST

A motorist drives through the snow near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Sunday in Louisville, Ky. Local forecasts called for heavy snowfall followed by significant accumulation of freezing rain and ice.

Updated January 05, 2025 at 19:40 PM ET

Millions across the U.S. are facing weather warnings and watches as a major winter storm moves from the Central Plains into the mid-Atlantic, where parts of the Washington, D.C., area could receive up to a foot of snow through Tuesday morning.

Heavy snowfall and wind gusts more than 40 miles per hour will lead to blizzard conditions across parts of Missouri and Kansas, according to the National Weather Service.

A map by NOAA showing possible snow accumulations Sunday through Tuesday.

"The snow will significantly reduce visibilities, and snowfall amounts will surpass 15 inches (the heaviest in a decade), which will make travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads," the NWS says. "Additionally, a band of 8-14 inches of snow is expected to extend from northeast Missouri through the Central Appalachians, with a few inches of sleet likely in southern Illinois and Indiana."

The storm will also bring a quarter to a half inch of freezing rain over states in the middle Mississippi/Ohio Valley region such as Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

Through Monday, there will also be "significant icing/freezing rain" across central Kansas through parts of the Central Appalachians that will lead to "dangerous travel conditions, widespread tree damage, and prolonged power outages," the NWS says.

Snow, sometimes moderate to heavy, on Monday will move from southern Illinois into the mid-Atlantic region where areas surrounding Washington, D.C., and Baltimore could receive up to 12 inches of snow and "ice accumulations up to two tenths of an inch," according to the NWS.

Prepare and stay home

More than 46,000 customers were without power in Kentucky, along with 34,000 in Missouri and 32,000 in Illinois as of Sunday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.

Emergencies and warnings have been declared in several states, including Virginia and Kentucky. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued a "state of preparedness" on Saturday.

The storm is also disrupting travel and leading to impassable roads and car crashes because of deteriorating conditions.

A prediction of snowfall totals in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore region.

Across Kansas there have been "at least 212 calls of service where troopers were responding somewhere to help someone" between 6:00 a.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday morning, according to Trooper Ben Gardner, public information officer for the Kansas Highway Patrol, who goes by Trooper Ben. There has also been "at least one fatality crash" the Kansas Highway Patrol has responded to, Ben tells NPR.

"KDOT's out here trying to get the roadways cleared, salting and blading the roadways, and we will continue to do so as the storm moves through our state," he says.

Officials are warning those being impacted by the storm over the next few days to take precautions. On Friday, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said for those facing winter storms to "listen to your local officials & stay off the roads if you are experiencing heavy snow or ice in your area."

Ben also says to make a plan before the storm arrives and to stay home if possible. But if you do decide to get on the road, make sure your car is prepared with enough fuel, your phone is charged and have non-perishable food items if you become stuck on the road. Also make sure your car's exhaust pipe remains clear of snow buildup to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.