Thirteen states are under a winter storm warning or watch as Winter Storm Blair is expected to tear across the country this weekend and drop double-digit snow totals, the National Weather Service (NWS) says.
What Is Winter Storm Blair?
Winter Storm Blair is a weather system percolating off the west coast in the Pacific Ocean and landing ashore at the end of the week. According to the Weather Channel, Blair will deliver tropical moisture from the Pacific and “initiate an area of low pressure” over the central plains, dumping inches of snow and causing ice accumulations.
Why It Matters
The U.S. has been affected by major weather events around the holiday season. Most recently, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York are under a lake effect snow warning, as projections point to snow amounts not measured in inches, but in feet.
Winter Storm Blair is expected to drop “very heavy snow” in parts of the Midwest and the plains, the Weather Channel says, as it moves east impacting millions of people. The storm is also slated to take place over the weekend after a national holiday, potentially bottlenecking major airports across the country.
Which States Will Likely Be Affected by the Storm?
The states under the winter storm watch as of Thursday night are portions of Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Kentucky. The watch begins in some states on Friday or Saturday and ends on Sunday night or Monday.
Portions of Maryland, California, Montana, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are under a winter storm warning starting on Friday and ending Saturday.
Snow can be seen blanketing tree branches on February 26, 2013, in Kansas City, Missouri. Winter Storm Blair is expected to sweep across the United States this weekend. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Snow can be seen blanketing tree branches on February 26, 2013, in Kansas City, Missouri. Winter Storm Blair is expected to sweep across the United States this weekend. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
What To Know
Here are the snow projections by the NWS as of Thursday night for each state:
Montana: A total of 6 inches is possible in southeast Montana. Both the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains could see up to 16 inches of snow. Eastern Glacier, Western Toole and Central Pondera counties could see 5 to 10 inches.
Wyoming: North central portions of the state may see 6 inches of snow.
Nebraska: A total of 4 to 7 inches of snow is possible in east and south central Nebraska, with the potential for 6 to 9 inches in both Nuckolls and Thayer counties. Portions of southeast Nebraska could see 6 to 10 inches of snow.
Kansas: A total of 4 to 7 inches of snow is possible in portions of north central Kansas, with 6 to 9 inches expected in Jewell and Mitchell counties. The central, east central, north central and northeast portions of the state are also projected to see 4 to 11 inches of snow, while the south central quadrant may see 4 to 9 inches. The heaviest snow accumulations of 13 inches may be seen north of I-70 in the state.
Illinois: The state’s southwest, south central and west central regions are projected to get 10 to 14 inches of snow. The east central, central and southeast portions of Illinois are predicted to see over 6 inches. Southern portions of the state may get 4 inches.
Missouri: Portions of central and northeast Missouri are projected to get 10 to 14 inches of snow. Parts of east central Missouri may see 6 to 12 inches, while southeast sections of the state may get 1 to 6 inches of snow or sleet. The heaviest snow totals of 13 inches may be seen north of I-70 in the state.
Iowa: The southwest portion of the state may see 4 to 7 inches of snow.
Indiana: All of central Indiana may 6 six inches of snow or more, while the southern part of the state could get 4 inches.
Kentucky: Western portions of the state may see 4 inches of snow, while the entire northern half of the state may also see four inches.
Maryland: In Garrett County, 6 to 10 inches of snow is possible.
West Virginia: In western Grant and western Pendleton counties, 6 to 10 inches of snow is possible. In western Greenbrier County, 2 to 7 inches is predicted. Northern portions of the state could get 4 to 12 inches of snow, while the central and southeast sectors of the state could see 5 to 10 inches.
Pennsylvania: Western and southwest portions of the state could expect 4 to 12 inches of snow.
California: Portions of the west slope of the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Western Plumas County and Lassen Park above 5,500 feet, including Highway 50 and I-80, could see up to 15 inches of snow at the highest peaks.
When Will the Winter Storm Strike?
The system is projected to start Friday and drop snow in the Midwest over the weekend into Monday as it exits off the East Coast.
Newsweek has reached out to the NWS via email for comment Thursday night.
What People Are Saying
Meteorologist Jim Cantore said on X, formerly Twitter: “Pending coast to coast winter storm ( TWC named #Blair ) will crank east of the Rockies starting saturday night into Tuesday off the east coast. Still model to model differences on timing and positioning that will make all the difference in precipitation type for the i64 corridor. This will be a high impact event that starts on a post holiday travel weekend so keep that in mind as snow rates and ice accretion are all on its resume all the way to the east coast. Below a look at the two-pieced system on satellite and its trek east through next Tuesday at 500mb.”
NWS Kansas City said on X: “A winter storm system is expected to bring ice/snow to area starting Saturday evening. Locally, over a third of an inch of ice may accumulate in areas south of I-70. Over a foot of snow is possible for areas north of I-70 and along highway 36.”
What Happens Next
The storm is expected to stop by Monday night and dissipate off the East Coast.
Winter Storm Blair Warning for 13 States as 16 Inches of Snow Possible
