Major Winter Storm Targets The Midwest This Weekend, Then Cold Plunges Deep Into The South, East Jonathan Erdman Thu, March 12, 2026 at 10:31 AM UTC 0 A major winter storm this weekend will dump heavy snow and bring strong winds and dangerous travel conditions to parts of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes, then will deliver a blast of cold air to much of the East and South. This weekend storm has been named Winter Storm Iona by The Weather Channel.
Major Winter Storm Targets The Midwest This Weekend, Then Cold Plunges Deep Into The South, East
Jonathan Erdman Thu, March 12, 2026 at 10:31 AM UTC
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A major winter storm this weekend will dump heavy snow and bring strong winds and dangerous travel conditions to parts of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes, then will deliver a blast of cold air to much of the East and South.
This weekend storm has been named Winter Storm Iona by The Weather Channel.
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 in the Southwest.
(MORE: March Is A Frustrating Weather Month)
First, A Wintry Teaser
Before we get to the weekend, there is a wintry system that will also affect parts of the northern tier of states.
A new system will quickly sweep east from the Northern Plains to the northern Great Lakes Thursday and Thursday night, then eastern Canada, upstate New York and northern New England with snow Friday into early Saturday. The heaviest snow accumulations with this first system, on the order of 6 inches, is expected in the northern Great Lakes from northeast Minnesota to northern Michigan.
A more widespread concern is the threat of high winds Thursday into Friday. High wind watches and warnings stretch from the Northwest into the Plains and Great Lakes, where gusts over 55 mph could lead to some tree damage and power outages from this first system.
Red flag warnings are also in effect in parts of the Plains, where the danger of rapid spreading from wildfires is high Thursday.
Weekend Storm
Timing
A much stronger storm with more widespread snow is forecast for this weekend.
On Saturday, a broad area of snow will blanket the Northern Plains and Rockies from Montana to Minnesota.
By Sunday, an intensifying low pressure system will wrap up somewhere in the Mississippi Valley or western Great Lakes, with widespread snow and strong winds.
Ahead of the sharp cold front, there could even be line of severe thunderstorms from parts of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys to eastern Texas and Louisiana, including areas just hit by severe weather this week.
(MAPS: 7-Day US Snow, Rain Forecast)
Sunday's 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 mid-Atlantic to the Southeast coast.
Strong winds are expected to persist in much of the Midwest and East into Monday, with power outages possible, especially near the Great Lakes.
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Monday's Forecast
How Much Snow
The best chance of heavy snow — at least 6 inches — is from southern Minnesota into Wisconsin and northern Michigan. Some areas in this general zone may pick up over a foot of snow.
And as alluded to earlier, this snow will be accompanied by strong winds, leading to dangerous driving conditions, especially from Saturday night through Monday morning. 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.
Check back with us at weather.com for updates to this forecast.
(MORE: 6 Things To Know About Snow Forecasts)
It's too soon to determine exact snowfall amounts, but areas in the purple and pink contours above have the best chance at heavy snowfall in the time period shown.Cold, For A While
Forecast Low-lights
That weekend winter storm 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 stuck 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.
(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 next 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 during the week of March 23.
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.
Source: "AOL Breaking"
Source: Breaking
Published: March 12, 2026 at 12:55PM on Source: MANUEL MAG
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