Blizzard's Path Extends from Nebraska to Wisconsin

By AccuWeather

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, 5:48 p.m. ET


A blizzard is unfolding near the Colorado/Kansas/Nebraska border Wednesday and will roll northeastward to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and central Ontario by late Thursday.

The storm will also become known for high winds over the Plains, Midwest and eventually the East.

Over the Plains and the Upper Midwest, where snow falls and wind gusts reach 50 mph, extensive blowing and drifting snow is in store with local whiteout conditions. In a narrow swath, the storm will begin as a wintry mix or even rain, but will change to windswept snow. Thunder and lightning are possible with the snow in some areas.

RELATED: Major Lake-Effect Snow Event to Follow Midwest Blizzard

Expect delays at airports in the path of the storms and ripple-effect delays in other parts of the nation. The storm will have direct impact on Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis.

Travel could come to a crawl or even stop for a time on major highways including I-35, I-39, I-43, I-70, I-75, I-80, I-90 and I-196.

Cities in the path of the blizzard include Russell, Kan., Omaha, Neb., Des Moines, Iowa, Green Bay, Wis., and Marquette, Mich. Many of these cities can pick up between six inches to a foot of snow. A narrow swath from northwest Iowa to central Wisconsin could see up to a foot and a half of snow.

Cities at risk for a quick freeze-up and icy travel, with a lesser amount of snow include Kansas City, Mo., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Chicago, Milwaukee, South Bend, Ind., and Grand Rapids, Mich.

The storm that brought heavy snow to the Intermountain West and Great Basin Tuesday will take a northeasterly path over the Plains and Upper Midwest, strengthening along the way.

The winds alone can be strong enough to down large tree limbs, cause minor property damage and bring power outages.

Lake-effect snow and high winds will also be a factor in the wake of the storm and may blend in during the tail end of the storm snow and blizzard in some areas.

This has the potential to be the most significant lake-effect event of the season so far from Lake Superior to lakes Erie and Ontario and potentially cloud be the heaviest lake-effect event of the winter for some locations.

South of the blizzard and freeze-up, needed rain will fall on part of the Ohio and Lower Mississippi valleys. However, a severe weather outbreak is also a possibility in the South and in the lower part of the Midwest.

Meteorologist Meghan Evans discusses who is most likely to have a white Christmas this year in "Stormier Pattern Increasing White Christmas Odds."

Visit AccuWeather.com for more weather news.

PHOTOS ON SKYE: Blizzard Dumps Snow on Colorado, Heads East

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