Updated December 29, 2025 at 7:37 AM AKST
A rapidly intensifying cyclone system is working its way across the northern U.S. on Monday, bringing severe winter weather from the Midwest to the East Coast.
Heavy snow, extreme cold and damaging winds are likely to create hazardous conditions stretching from Montana east to Maine, and Texas north to Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
"Impacts from this expansive mid-latitude cyclone range from heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes, freezing rain across New England, a quick round of heavy rain and embedded thunderstorms moving quickly through the eastern U.S. and across the South, as well as widespread blustery winds to locally damaging winds to these areas," the NWS said.
More than 8 million people were under winter storm warnings from the NWS on Sunday afternoon, and nearly 2 million people were under blizzard warnings. The NWS expects the storm to reach "peak intensity" on Monday morning and move "relatively quickly" into southeastern Canada.
Forecasters say the snow intensity will decrease steadily across the Great Lakes throughout Monday, though lake-effect snow — intense, localized snowfall — could continue in the Snow Belt region and lower Great Lakes through Wednesday morning.
As the storm moves east, more states are warning residents to hunker down in the coming days. The NWS in Pittsburgh says intense and sudden snow squalls, which bring poor visibility and dangerous road conditions, are expected to peak between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time on Monday. The NWS office in Buffalo, N.Y., says lake-effect snow will develop throughout the day and last through "at least mid-week."
In the meantime, parts of New England as far north as Burlington, Vt., are seeing a mix of sleet and freezing rain. Western and central Massachusetts are under a high wind watch, with gusts of up to 60 mph expected Monday night into Tuesday night.
"Winter precipitation aside, the Arctic cold front sweeping south will bring a drastic end to the recent record warm spell across the central U.S. to the South," the NWS says.
It says high temperatures on Monday will be 30 to 40 degrees colder than Sunday's "across much of the Nation's midsection" — and not just up north.
In Dallas, Texas, temperatures dropped dramatically overnight from highs in the 80s to the 40s. The NWS in Miami is warning of a strong cold front arriving Monday night, with lows dipping into the 30s and 40s in parts of the state and remaining below average into the new year.
Significant snowfall and gusty winds hit the Midwest
Forecasters expect snowfall amounts of a foot or more across the upper Great Lakes. That, combined with gusty winds, could create dangerous whiteout conditions and potentially down trees and power lines.
"We are anticipating some pretty big snows over the next 24 hours, especially across east central Minnesota to northern Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A lot of those places will have 6-12 inches," NWS lead forecaster Bob Oravec told NPR on Sunday.
In Minnesota, forecasters had warned of "potentially life-threatening conditions" and urged people in much of the southern third of the state not to travel. The NWS Twin Cities office — which saw five to seven inches — said Monday morning that while snowfall has ended, travel is not advised in the southwest part of the state due to "blowing and drifting snow."
All of Southeast Michigan is under a high wind warning through 9 p.m. local time Monday, with gusts of 55 mph expected. The NWS office in Marquette, Mich., said widespread gusts of 35 to 60 mph "are contributing to areas of near zero visibilities and drifting snow," warning of road closures and calling travel "very difficult to impossible."
Marquette Mayor Paul Schloegel told NPR on Sunday that the Marquette Board of Light & Power is prepared to handle any loss of electricity. He said in an email that the main priority is keeping people safe.
"We tend to heed the advice of our weather forecasters and prepare to hunker down as needed," Schloegel wrote. "As far as taking care of the snow, our extremely dedicated public works and MDOT crews do a great job taking care of our residents, they are true professionals. Roads are usually back to normal within 24 [hours]."
Schloegel said Marquette residents appreciate a good blizzard, while taking precautions.
"We choose to live here for our love of [four] full seasons and appreciate the effect the greatest lake, Lake Superior, has on our climate," he said.
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