This could be the heaviest snowfall – at least locally – in at least a decade, meteorologists say. A major winter storm developed across the central United States on Saturday and is expected to move eastward over the next few days. 62 million Americans could be affected, according to CNN. Heavy snowfall with freezing temperatures is expected, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The blizzard could also be part of it.
This Sunday, snow and ice were already causing serious travel disruptions, particularly in the state of Ohio, in the Great Lakes region. More than a foot of snow is expected in some areas, with enough ice to cause power outages, according to the Weather Nation.
The first major storm of 2025 has already caused the temporary closure on Saturday of the Kansas City International Airport, in the state of Kansas (central), “due to rapid accumulation of ice”. Flights then resumed after runway thawing operations, said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. American Airlines issued an alert to its customers for 45 airports across the country affected by the storm.
Up to 12 cm of snow expected in Washington
The United States capital, Washington, could be covered in a snowpack of 12 cm or more, with up to 25 cm in surrounding areas. Temperatures are expected to plunge in some places to -18°C, with strong gusts of wind making the situation worse.
And where it’s too warm for snow and freezing, the storm could bring severe thunderstorms, especially in some areas still recovering from December’s deadly storms, according to CNN.
