These cities could be hit the hardest as US braces for winter blast of snow, ice

The storm is expected to bring a treacherous mix of snow, ice, and blizzard conditions, accompanied by strong winds gusting up to 50 mph. It may also potentially bring power disruptions and dangerous travel conditions, reports CNN.

A hazardous mix of snow, ice, and freezing rain is still present across Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Indiana, and western Kentucky. Roughly 4 million of the 60 million people under winter alerts are under blizzard warnings in parts of eastern Kansas and western Missouri. There are also reports of thunder sleet and thundersnow, reports The Washington Post.

US storm: Which states are at risk?

The storm is expected to move eastward throughout the day into the Ohio River Valley before moving into the mid-Atlantic and continuing into much of Monday.

Blizzard warning in Kansas City, Missouri, through 12 a.m. CT on Monday. With a 45 mph wind gust and an ice coating, 8 to 14 inches of snow are predicted overall.

St. Louis: A winter storm warning is in effect until Monday. Heavy, mixed precipitation that starts off slippery and eventually turns to snow. There was very little sleet accumulation, with between 5 and 9 inches of snow and sleet overall.

Indianapolis: A winter storm warning is in effect until Monday evening. Heavy mixed precipitation with a coating of ice and a total snow accumulation of 6 to 9 inches.

Louisville, Kentucky: A secondary snow burst is expected Monday afternoon and evening, and a winter storm warning is in effect through Monday. There was a lot of mixed precipitation, with up to five to nine inches of snow and three-fourths of an inch of ice accumulating.

Cincinnati: A winter storm warning is in effect until Tuesday, with a secondary snow burst on Monday afternoon and evening. The warning will peak at noon on Sunday and last until Monday. Heavy mixed precipitation, resulting in ice accumulations of up to 1 inch and total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches.

Winter storm warning in effect in Charleston, West Virginia. There will be a secondary snow burst on Monday afternoon and evening, with Tuesday peaking until noon. There was a lot of mixed precipitation, with ice accumulations ranging from 1/2 to 1 inch and total snow accumulations between 4 and 7 inches.

Winter storm warning for Washington, DC, with a peak on Monday until the early hours of Tuesday. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches, with some suburban areas possibly receiving up to a foot, due to a combination of snow and sleet, with evidence of ice buildup.

Philadelphia: An alert for winter weather on Monday, with a peak until the evening. Snow accumulations ranging from two to four inches.

Maryland’s governor proclaimed a state of preparation ahead of the storm, while the governors of Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, and New Jersey declared states of emergency, as reported by CNN.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on X, “due to inclement weather” all state office buildings will be closed on Monday.

The office of Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CNN that the state is preparing for the storm, which will “likely affect roads and transport centres and could cause significant snow accumulation in some parts of the state.”

As Parliament gets ready to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election on Monday, the winter storm is expected to strike Washington, DC, overnight.

The Office of Personnel Management has announced that snow would force the closure of US federal government buildings in Washington, DC, on Monday. Parliament will not be affected by the stoppage.

With freezing rain expected, Louisville has urged residents to stay indoors and make every effort to prepare for the disaster, as reported by The Washington Post.

The storm is expected to deposit several inches of snow, which could create dangerous driving conditions for those who commute on Mondays in cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Washington, DC.

The coldest regions—likely portions of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia—will accumulate the most snow. Where warmer air produces sleet and ice rather than snow, totals will be smaller.

Depending on the storm’s path, snow totals in certain areas of Missouri may be anywhere from an inch to over a foot. This erratic prognosis also applies to nearby states, where snowfall in certain areas may be close to January record levels, as reported by The Washington Post.

Also read: Dangerous storm to unleash snow, ice, bitter cold across US

Among the cities preparing for unusual snow accumulations are Kansas City and Indianapolis.

Indianapolis is also in the storm’s path, with predictions indicating that it may break its January record of 11.4 inches, set in 2014, while Kansas City may surpass its January record of 7.2 inches, set in 2011.

Late Monday, the enormous storm will finally leave the East Coast, and its effects will completely subside overnight. However, any snow and ice that falls from the storm will be trapped in the eastern two-thirds of the United States on Tuesday due to temperature reductions of up to 30 degrees below average.