Winter Storm In Upper Midwest Bringing Blizzard Conditions; Record Snow Possible In Parts Of Midwest

A major winter storm has begun and is bringing blizzard conditions, record snow, high winds and dangerous travel conditions to parts of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes, then will deliver a blast of winds and cold air to much of the East and South.

This weekend storm has been named Winter Storm Iona by The Weather Channel.

Snowfall has been falling at the rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour across portions of Wisconsin and Michigan Monday morning. More than 20 inches has already fallen from southern Minnesota to central Wisconsin. As much as 21 inches has fallen in Whitehall, Wisconsin.

Straight out of the textbook for wild swings in March weather, this winter reality check will follow on the heels of a severe weather outbreak and spell of record warmth in the central and eastern U.S. that will now intensify into a record March heat wave in the Southwest.

(MORE: March Is A Frustrating Weather Month)

Weekend Blizzard

Here’s where the heaviest snow is falling now:

Alerts

Blizzard warnings have been issued for portions of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, where wind gusts up to 50 mph combined with moderate to heavy snow will make travel impossible at times on Sunday.

Winter storm watches and warnings are in effect from the Northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes. Heavy snow and gusty winds will lead to dangerous driving conditions, especially in areas where warnings are in effect in the dark blue on the map below.

High wind watches and warnings are in effect through this weekend in parts of the Rockies and Plains, where gusts of 70 mph or higher could lead to some tree damage and power outages. The gusty winds could also spark new fires and expand ongoing fires.

Timing

On Sunday, a strong low pressure system will surge eastward from the Plains to the Great Lakes, bringing heavy snow and gusty winds to much of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, including the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Blowing and drifting snow will cause lower visibilities across the Upper Midwest even where snow is not falling from the sky.

Some mixed precipitation, including sleet and ice, is likely from Iowa through southern Wisconsin and central Michigan.

Ahead of the sharp cold front, a line of severe thunderstorms is expected from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley, including areas just hit by severe weather this week. Rain could fall as far north as Milwaukee and Lansing, Michigan.

(MAPS: 7-Day US Snow, Rain Forecast)

Sunday night and Monday, the strong low will shove the cold front rapidly into the East.

Precipitation may change from rain to a quick burst of snow in the Ohio Valley and Appalachians. Along much of the East Coast, this will be a rain event, with strong to severe thunderstorms packing damaging winds possible from parts of the Northeast to the Carolinas.

(MORE: Severe Thunderstorms Forecast From The Mid-Mississippi Valley To The East)

Strong winds are expected to persist in much of the Midwest and East into Monday, with power outages possible, especially near the Great Lakes and along the immediate East Coast.

How Much Snow

In parts of the upper Midwest, this could be a record-setting snowstorm.

From parts of southern Minnesota into central and northern Wisconsin, far northern Lower Michigan and Upper Michigan, over a foot of snow looks likely. In fact, some of these areas may see 18 to 24 inches of snow from this storm, in the areas shaded in pink in the map below. That could include Green Bay, Marquette and Mackinac Island. A spot or two could see more than 30 inches of snow in northern Michigan.

And Marquette has seen over 214 inches of snow since October 1, which is a top 5 snowiest October 1 to March 14.

Accoring to NOAA records, this could flirt with or break 2-day snowstorm records in some locations of northeast Wisconsin, eastern Upper Michigan and extreme northern Lower Michigan.

Snow could fall at the rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour Sunday and Monday, accompanied by strong winds. This could lead to extremely dangerous, if not impossible, travel conditions. If you plan to travel in this timeframe in the western Great Lakes and upper Midwest, you should consider either delaying or canceling those plans.

If that wasn’t enough, there also could be a band of freezing rain and sleet for a time from parts of extreme northern Iowa and southern Minnesota into southern Wisconsin and Lower Michigan Sunday, before changing to rain, then back to snow. This could lead to some ice accumulations that could make roads slippery.

These strong winds, heavy snow and some ice accumulations could also lead to tree damage and power outages that could become widespread.

We don’t expect significant snowfall in the Northeast from this winter storm. Rain will be the dominant precipitation type and dry air aloft should minimize any wrap-around snow chances.

(MORE: 6 Things To Know About Snow Forecasts)

Cold, For A While

Forecast Low-lights

That weekend blizzard will pull down a fresh supply of cold air from Canada beginning this weekend that will have staying power into St. Patrick’s week.

Sunday, that cold will nosedive southward into the Plains. Monday, that cold air will have reached the northern Gulf Coast. Tuesday, that cold air will have swept through the East, including Florida.

Monday, highs will be stuck in the teens, 20s and 30s in much of the Midwest. St. Patrick’s Day will be in the 20s and 30s in most of the Northeast and Midwest, while the Southeast shivers in the 40s and 50s, for the most part.

Some subzero lows are possible in parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Monday and Tuesday. Much of the Deep South, including parts of far northern Florida, is forecast to dip below the freezing mark Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

Some daily record lows and cold highs could be threatened, especially in the Deep South, where a frost could make it as far south as Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans. Highs struggling to reach 60 degrees in central Florida could be their coldest St. Patrick’s Day highs on record.

(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs/Lows)

How Long Will It Last?

If you’ve had enough of winter weather, especially following the recent warmth, we do have some good news.

Warmer air should work its way eastward in the Plains by the middle of the upcoming week, then may ooze farther east later next week.

However, some longer-range models are suggesting some chillier air may spill back into parts of the Midwest and Northeast by the weekend of March 21 and 22, or that following week.

So goes, March, right?

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.