By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist
February 24,2016; 9:12PM,EST
A multi-faceted storm will deliver snow or a change from rain to snow and cause disruptions to travel and daily activities over part of the midwestern United States into Thursday.
Gusty winds will accompany the rain and snow from the storm. The combination of wind and precipitation will result in poor visibility for motorists and will lead to airline delays. Wind gusts could be strong enough in some communities to cause sporadic power outages from the Midwest to the Atlantic Seaboard.
Since the storm will track west of the Appalachians, heavy snow will extend from southeastern Missouri and expand in areal coverage and intensity over portions of Illinois, Indiana and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
While the northern and western suburbs of Chicago will likely be spared the worst of the storm's impacts, enough snow could fall to make roads slushy and slippery in the South Side. Heavy snow will narrowly miss Chicago and pile up in northwest Indiana with snowfall totals of around 1 foot on grassy surfaces.
"Strong winds will cause large waves and lake shore flooding along the southern end of Lake Michigan," according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.
Heavy wet snow succeeded in reaching the St. Louis area. The clinging nature of the snow caused power outages in the region.
Cities that are likely to be hit by 6 inches of snow or more and more substantial travel disruptions include downtown Chicago, South Bend, Indiana, and Lansing, Flint and Bay City, Michigan.
Enough snow to shovel and plow is likely in Detroit, even though the storm started as a wintry mix. Snowfall amounts will increase west and north of the city.
"The snow can fall at the rate of 1-2 inches per hour in some communities during Wednesday evening," Abrams said.
As road surfaces cool, wet and slushy areas will become snow covered during Wednesday night.
The heavy rate of snow and gusty winds can produce white-out conditions in some locations.
Travel will become difficult with the potential for road closures along portions of interstates 65, 69, 70, 75, 80, 90, 94 and 96 as well as other highways.
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Farther east, higher temperatures will result in rain during the first part of the storm. However, as colder air seeps in from the west, rain will change to snow or locally heavy snow showers over parts of the Ohio Valley, the lower Great Lakes and the western slopes of the central Appalachians.
The air will become cold enough to allow snow showers from Louisville and London, Kentucky, to Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Cleveland during Wednesday night.
In most cases from western Tennessee, central Kentucky and along the Ohio River in Indiana and southwestern Ohio, road surfaces will be warm enough as to allow most of the snow to melt as it falls. However, brief whiteouts are possible in this area, which may not only result in a sudden drop in visibility but could also allow some surfaces to turn slushy and slippery very quickly during Wednesday night.
During Thursday, cities that will receive some snow from the storm include Bristol, Tennessee; Charleston, West Virginia; Cleveland; Pittsburgh; and Buffalo, New York. Where snow showers persist, roads could turn slushy and slippery, even during the middle of the day. The best chance of a few inches of snow is on non-paved surfaces over higher ground of the central Appalachians and where lake-effect enhances the snow showers.
"The Thursday morning commute [over much of the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes region] will be hazardous and residents should exercise caution, if they must head out," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Becky Elliott.
Meanwhile, as the storm brings rain, snow and strong winds to the Northern states, a tornado outbreak will sweep eastward and threaten lives and property across the South.
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