Chicago, IL – A powerful and rapidly intensifying late December blizzard is impacting large portions of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast Sunday night, bringing heavy snow, hazardous ice, blizzard conditions, and dangerously cold wind chills that are expected to persist into Monday.
According to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center, the storm center is moving northeast through Michigan, fueling widespread winter weather across the region. Heavy snow and blizzard conditions are ongoing across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, while a dangerous wintry mix is spreading across parts of the interior Northeast.
Forecasters say more than a foot of lake-enhanced snow is expected across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula tonight, with blizzard conditions leading to near-zero visibility, treacherous travel, and scattered power outages. As winds turn westerly, lake-effect snow is forecast to intensify downwind of the lower Great Lakes, including areas near Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit through Monday night.
In addition to snow, hazardous ice accumulation is expected across parts of the interior Northeast, where 0.25 to 0.50 inches of ice could form through Monday morning. This level of icing may result in downed trees, power outages, and impassable roads, especially in higher terrain.
Strong winds will compound impacts across the storm zone, with gusts exceeding 40 mph creating blowing and drifting snow and contributing to lakeshore flooding in some areas. Behind the system, bitterly cold air will overspread the Plains and Upper Midwest, with wind chills plunging as low as -30°F across North Dakota and Minnesota tonight into Monday.
Officials urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel, prepare for extended power outages, and closely monitor updates from weather.gov and local emergency officials as conditions evolve.
