Blizzard to bury north central U.S. under heavy snow, drifts this weekend

Residents of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest who have been dealing with weeks of brutal cold will need to start preparing for a major winter storm set to strike this weekend.

A storm moving through the Rockies into Friday night is expected to blanket the peaks of the Wasatch and Colorado ski country with several inches of snow. Ski resorts will enjoy the powder dump leading into the weekend, and the storm dives into the Plains.

"Soon after the storm emerges from the Rockies, an area of snow is forecast to expand rapidly, and travel is expected to deteriorate across the northern Plains during Friday night and Saturday," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

By Saturday morning, snow is expected to spread over the Dakotas, northern Nebraska and western portions of Iowa. In addition to limited visibility, roads will quickly become slick and snow-covered once snow starts falling.

While snow tapers off during the day in the High Plains, heavy snow will persist across the Dakotas and spread over much of Minnesota and Wisconsin from west to east.

Airline delays can start ramping up at Minneapolis area airports on Saturday afternoon as heavy snow and gusty winds start battering the region.

"During Saturday night to Sunday morning, the storm will likely be at its strongest with windswept snow from the Dakotas and northern Nebraska to much of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and part of northern Michigan," Sosnowski said. "Strengthening winds will greatly lower the visibility and cause extensive blowing and drifting snow, especially at the tail end of the storm and even as the sky begins to clear."

Wind gusts can exceed 50 mph, threatening to topple high-profile vehicles and leading to power outages and property damage. These winds will also limit the effectiveness of snow plowing, since new drifts can quickly obscure roadways.

Travel will be extremely dangerous through Saturday night as a result, with closures possible on long stretches of Interstates 90, 29 and 94.

Millions will wake up to several inches of fresh snow on Sunday morning, with 6-12 inches of accumulation expected in central Minnesota, southeastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, northern Wisconsin and northrn Michigan. However, it may be difficult to measure snow totals due to extensive blowing and drifting.

There can be an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 16 inches in this corridor.

Otherwise, a general 3 to 6 inches of snow is expected from parts of northern Wyoming and southern Montana to central Wisconsin.

Download the free AccuWeather app to check forecast snow amounts and timing in your area.

Farther south, rain mixing in with the snow will limit snow totals across Nebraska and northern Iowa.

In the wake of the storm on Sunday, calm, frigid conditions will settle over the Plains while gusty winds persist over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region.

A disruptively windy day is also expected across the mid-Atlantic, where gusts could reach 45 mph.