Winter Storm Quo Will Bring a Snowy Start to March in the Midwest and East

February 29,2016
Winter Storm Quo will deliver a swath of snow and some ice from parts of the Midwest to the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast through Wednesday.
Quo was named Monday morning after winter storm warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for more than 3 million people in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. This exceeds The Weather Channel's population requirement of 2 million people under warnings for a named winter storm. Winter weather advisories are also in effect from eastern South Dakota to northern Illinois, including Chicago and Lower Michigan. A second area of winter weather advisories and winter storm watches extends from northern New York into northern New England.
(MORE: Science Behind Naming Winter Storms | Winter Storm Central)

Winter Weather Alerts

The warm side of Winter Storm Quo will bring a threat of thunderstorms, some of which could be severe, to parts of the South. For more on that story, click here.
Below is a look at the timing for Winter Storm Quo and the snowfall forecast.

Winter Storm Quo Timing

Low pressure at the surface of the earth will organize along an arctic frontal boundary while strengthening, as it sweeps from Missouri Tuesday morning to New York by Wednesday morning. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will be pumped in and over the cold air at the surface, wringing out some snow and even, potentially, a little freezing rain or sleet along the path of that low.
Winter Storm Quo does not appear to be a major snowstorm with the potential to dump over a foot of snow over a widespread area. That said, the combination of snow and ice will impact travel in the Great Lakes and interior Northeast the next couple of days.
(MAPS: 10-day Forecast Highs/Lows and Conditions)
Timing: Into Tuesday

• Accumulating snow will be found in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes through Tuesday.
• Both air and road travel will be affected in the region, including in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee Monday into Tuesday.
• A narrow zone of mixed precipitation, including some ice, may affect parts of eastern Iowa, northern and central Illinois, northern Indiana and northern Ohio, leading to slippery travel conditions.
• FORECASTS: Chicago | Detroit | Cleveland

Tuesday's Forecast

Timing: Tuesday Night - Wednesday

• Tuesday Night: Accumulating snow and a wintry mix spreads across portions of Upstate New York and northern New England Tuesday night, including Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Rain may change to snow in the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians. Snow also continues in southern Michigan, northern Ohio and parts of Indiana.
• Wednesday: Snow and a wintry mix continue in parts of New England and Upstate New York. Snow may continue in the Appalachians.
• FORECASTS: Burlington | Syracuse | Pittsburgh

Tuesday Night's Forecast

Wednesday's Forecast

Winter Storm Quo Snowfall Forecast

• Snowfall Forecast: Most locations along the path of Quo will generally see snowfall totals of 6 inches or less, including the Midwest, southern Great Lakes and interior Northeast. Some areas may pick up more than 6 inches, particularly in a narrow corridor near the border between Wisconsin and Illinois to Lower Michigan. Locations near the Canadian border in New York and northern New England could also see more than 6 inches of total snow.
• Ice Accumulation Forecast: Light ice accumulations are possible from northern Illinois to northern New England. Though the amount of ice accumulation is expected to remain low in most areas, we will still see slippery travel conditions.

Snowfall Forecast

Ice Accumulation Potential

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