The Midwest’s first widespread winter storm arrives this weekend

Get ready for a hefty blanket of snow across much of the Midwest this weekend as a moisture-rich winter storm develops and sweeps through the region.

We’ll see the low-pressure system begin to develop over Colorado late on Friday and move east through the weekend. 

Expect precipitation to begin in places like Iowa and Missouri during the overnight hours Friday into early Saturday. Snowfall will expand east toward the Great Lakes and cover the region through the day Saturday, lasting overnight into early Sunday before tapering off from west to east. 

Forecasters with the National Weather Service anticipate some pretty hefty totals across the region. The latest forecast on Thursday afternoon paints 8 to 10 inches of snow from western Iowa through western Michigan, including the cities of Des Moines, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Much of central/eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois could see a foot or more of snow by Sunday morning.

Plan ahead if you’re travelling this weekend. The timing of this storm is atrocious given that there are so many folks heading back home from their Thanksgiving trips.

Highway travel will be difficult or impossible during the height of the storm throughout the affected areas. Widespread airline delays and cancellations are also likely. Chicago is a major airline hub, so delays and cancellations there will also have a ripple effect to parts of the country not experiencing active weather this weekend. 

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