Here we go again: Midwest prepares to be battered by huge winter storm that will dump up to 24 inches of snow before barreling onto the East Coast bringing New Year's Eve misery to 40M
A double header of winter storms is set to bring snow, ice, rain and plummeting temperatures to millions across the US by New Year's Eve, with the Midwest bracing itself for as much as 24 inches of snowfall Tuesday.
The first of two low pressure systems already brought heavy snow and rainfall to parts of the Southwest on Monday, especially in Southern California where a foot of snow was reported in the mountains outside of Los Angeles.
As of Tuesday morning, the storm began roaring its way across to the Central Plains and Rockies, blanketing parts of Nebraska in several inches of snow.
Winter weather alerts have since been issued for at least 40 million Americans across 17 states - from Utah to Michigan - as the storm moves eastward.
A second, more southerly storm, is expected to add to the mix by midweek.
Parts of Nebraska were hit with heavy snowfall on Tuesday morning, including Omaha which has already seen as much as three inches fall
The worst of snowfall and freezing rain is expected as the storm passes the Great Basin and central Rockies. Snowfall in the region could reach up to 24 inches (Omaha, Nebraska above)
Brandon Franks shovels snow out of his driveway in the Pepperwood neighborhood of Omaha on Tuesday
As of Tuesday morning, snow was so heavy in western Nebraska that Interstates 80 and 76 were closed in both directions after several accidents
A major winter storm is expected to sweep across the US in the lead up to New Year's Eve
Winter weather alerts have since been issued for at least 40 million Americans - from Utah to Michigan - with heavy snowfall exepected
Heavy snow and freezing rain will contribute to hazardous driving conditions across much of the Midwest on Tuesday, including Chicago and Minneapolis, officials have warned.
The worst of snowfall and freezing rain is expected as the storm passes the Great Basin and central Rockies. Snowfall totals there are expected to reach between 12 and 24 inches by Tuesday night.
As of Tuesday morning, snow was so heavy in western Nebraska that Interstates 80 and 76 were closed in both directions after several accidents.
Police in Omaha reported several accidents blamed on slick roads. Some parts of Nebraska had already seen 3 inches of snow by shortly after dawn.
Heavy snowfall of up to 10 inches, and perhaps more in some spots, was forecast in parts of Iowa, where the state Department of Transportation urged people to delay travel plans.
National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Vachalek told the Des Moines Register that the storm could be especially concerning for drivers.
'The wet, heavy snow is very slippery ... that could cause more crashes and people need to be aware of that,' Vachalek said.
The weather service is forecasting 2 to 5 inches of snow and sleet for the Chicago area, along with one to two tenths of an inch of ice.
AccuWeather said parts of southeast Nebraska, northeast Kansas, northern Missouri and southern Iowa could see ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch, which could weigh down power lines and branches and cause power outages.
In Topeka, morning snow was expected to give way to freezing rain before eventually becoming rain.
In the Kansas City area, light snow on Tuesday morning resulted in several accidents. Among them were several rollover wrecks on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area.
On Wednesday, the low pressure system is expected to head from the Great Lakes into Canada.
Traffic heads west through the snow on Dodge Street towards 114th Street underneath the West Dodge Expressway in Omaha, Nebraska. Officials are advising motorists stay off the roads
In Papillon, Nebraska, users of social media reported that six inches had already fallen in the area by 11:45 am local time
A foot of snow was reported in the mountains outside of Los Angeles
Heavy snow and freezing rain will contribute to hazardous driving conditions across much of the Midwest (Nebraska seen above)
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois
Snow and freezing rain will contribute to hazardous driving conditions in the likes of De Mois and Omaha, officials have warned
Storm temperature and wind direction predictions across the US on New Year's Day
The Gulf and East Coasts are expected to be hit with high amounts of rain on New Year's Eve
A second storm system will move in on the southern side of the current storm midweek, enhancing snow and thunderstorms across the South through New Year's Eve as it builds near the western Gulf Coast - extending from the Great Lakes southwestward to parts of Missouri and eastern Kansas.
The area ranging from the Ohio Valley to parts of Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley could be hit by rain, with some severe thunderstorms showing up in southeast Texas.
The second low pressure system is currently predicted to cover the South, East and Midwest with snow and rain on Wednesday and into Thursday, New Year's Eve.
The East Coast - from Southern New England to the Deep South - is expected to see rain, with severe thunderstorms possibly cropping up near the north-central Gulf Coast.
The thunderstorms are most likely from eastern Louisiana into the southern halves of Mississippi and Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Thunderstorms appearing across eastern Texas on Wednesday afternoon are expected to be able to produce damaging winds and heavy rain, according to AccuWeather.
These same storms - which could produce winds high enough to damage trees and lead to power outages - would then head east, where they would hit portion of western Louisiana during the night.
Motorists in those two regions are being advised that heavy rains could limit visibility and that conditions could change rapidly.
The second low pressure system is currently predicted to cover the South, East and Midwest with snow and rain on Wednesday and Thursday, New Year's Eve
The area ranging from the Ohio Valley to parts of Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley could be hit by rain, with some severe thunderstorms showing up in southeast Texas.
A woman waits at a bus stop in the rain Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles
Over three inches of rain fell in Santa Barbara, California, and downtown Los Angeles saw 1.81 inches of rain on Monday
The first system already brought heavy snow and rainfall to parts of the Southwest on Monday, especially in Southern California
Between one to three inches of rain are projected to fall from western and northern Virginia to central New York state and central New England on Thursday night, with Boston and New York City potentially lucking out and avoiding the deluge until early New Year's Day, according to AccuWeather.
There could also be a moderate snowfall over parts of northern New York state and northern New England on New Year's Eve, and heavy snow over parts of the Central states.
Also come Thursday, portions of the Northeast, near the Canadian border, could be hit by wintry weather, Weather.com reported.
As the second low pressure system meets the first one, which originated over California at the start of the week, wintry weather could also hit central Texas and parts of Oklahoma.
The first day of 2021 - Friday - could see snowfall from the Ozarks and mid-Mississippi Valley into the Great Lakes, New England and upstate New York, while the mid-Atlantic into the Southeast could be beset by rain and thunderstorms, with parts of the Carolinas and eastern Georgia experiencing severe thunderstorms.