Winter storm Blair forecast places 60 million Americans under weather alerts with nearly two feet of snow predicted

Nearly 60 million Americans have been warned of weather threats as a monstrous winter storm prepares to blanket parts of the country with heavy snow and disabling ice.

Weather experts predict that approaching winter storm Blair will affect the Great Plains and the Northeast this weekend and into early next week, hitting cities such as Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis and Indianapolis.

Forecasters predict that the Rocky Mountain region as well as the Central and Northern Plains areas will be hit with heavy snow, strong winds and freezing rain.

“The storm is shaping up to be the first widespread winter storm of the season for the central and eastern United States and will negatively impact travel during the final days of the holiday season,” said Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Residents of Wichita, Kansas City and Omaha can expect blizzard-like conditions due to heavy snow and high winds.

“A wintry mix could start as early as this afternoon and transition to snow by Sunday afternoon,” the National Weather Service field office in Kansas City said on X.

“Wind gusts of around 55 to 60 km per hour on Sunday could cause possible snow storms.”

Over time, the severe winter storm is expected to shift into the Missouri region, where residents can expect similar, dangerous conditions.

By Sunday, an estimated 7 million people, largely residents of the Mississippi Valley, will be placed on tornado watch as damaging winds and hail are expected to overwhelm the area.

Residents of Jackson, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lake Charles should be especially vigilant Sunday, forecasters warn.

The mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians are expected to see heavy snow overnight Monday before the powerful storm is expected to move toward the coast.

Kansas, Missouri and Illinois are forecast to receive the highest snowfall totals as forecasters predict snowfalls of 9 to 16 inches.

Meanwhile, 4 to 10 inches of snow will also fall across parts of the Mid-Atlantic, weather officials predict.

Forecasters also suspect that significant icing will extend across affected regions and wreak havoc on residents as they predict massive power outages, tree damage and dangerous travel conditions.

“This will be a storm with all hazards,” Dan DePodwin, director of forecast operations at AccuWeather, reported Friday morning.

‘Ice storms like this are known to cause power outages over quite a large area. Especially now is the time to stock up. “If you have a generator, make sure you know how to operate it and make sure it is not in a place where it will blow into your house,” he added.

A significant drop in temperatures is also expected in the ‘eastern two-thirds’ of the country. NBC reported.

Highs will drop to 10 to 25 degrees below the local average temperature from Sunday and will likely last until Friday, January 10.

The most extreme temperatures are expected in the Northern Plains – where overnight minimums will drop to -20 degrees, with wind chill values ​​around a threatening -40 degrees.

“Some communities could lose power for days as dangerously cold air moves in in the wake of the storm,” Sosnowski said.

‘There may be a great need to set up shelters to take into account the population that could be affected.’

The approaching storm comes just days after several other regions in the US were rocked by heavy snowfall.

Winter storm warnings were issued in four states Thursday and Friday morning as meteorologists forecast nearly 18 inches of snow in some areas.

The affected states include parts of the western US, in Wyoming and Colorado, as well as the East Coast affecting states such as New York and Vermont.

In these areas, forecasters saw “very dangerous” travel conditions as wind gusts near 50 miles per hour battered Vermont and New York, downing tree limbs and power lines, causing sporadic outages.

Ahead of the damaging winter storm, officials advised residents to be prepared for emergencies.

“If you must travel, make sure you have an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” officials advised.

New York and Vermont saw the heaviest snowfall recently, with some areas receiving as much as 40 inches of snow.

Snowfall totals in Wyoming ranged from 1 to 10 inches, and from 6 to 12 inches in Colorado.

In New York, Saint Lawrence, Franklin and Clinton counties were among the hardest hit areas.

Meanwhile, counties like Chittenden and Lamoille in Vermont saw the strongest impact.

These states were under a winter storm warning until 7 a.m. ET on January 3.

Cold temperatures will persist as forecasters expect the Arctic chill to persist and could lead to more winter storms in the eastern U.S. through mid-January.