A powerful winter storm is gearing up to hit the Midwest on Wednesday, bringing a messy mix of sleet, freezing rain, and snow. But it won’t stop there—by Wednesday night, the storm will push into the Northeast, making Thursday morning’s commute a nightmare for millions.
At least 22 states, stretching from Oklahoma to Vermont, are bracing for the storm, with ice and snow alerts already in place. Parts of the Appalachian Mountains, from West Virginia to Pennsylvania, are under an ice storm warning, where dangerously thick ice could coat roads and trees.
The trouble starts Wednesday morning in the Plains, sweeping across Oklahoma and Missouri before barreling into the Midwest by the afternoon. Cities like Chicago will see the worst of it in the evening, while places like Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia will get hit later in the night. By early Thursday morning, the storm will reach New York City, making travel extremely hazardous.
The I-95 corridor is expected to get a light but slippery mix—around 1 to 2 inches of snow, plus a thin layer of ice. The tricky part? By mid-morning, the snow will switch to rain, and by noon, it should all be over. But in New England and the inland Northeast, icy roads could remain dangerous well into the afternoon.
And just when you think winter might take a break, another storm is brewing. Forecasters say more ice and snow could hit the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, keeping millions on edge.
