Urgent Blizzard Warning: Timeline, Impact Zones, and Survival Tips for the Mega Snowstorm

Residents from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to coastal Maine are waking up under an expanding Blizzard Warning as a potent winter storm barrels across the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. Heavy snow, gale-force winds and pockets of ice are already creating white-out travel conditions, and forecasters say the worst will continue through Friday night into early Saturday. What the latest alerts say • Blizzard Warnings now blanket parts of Baraga, Marquette, Iron, Dickinson, Keweenaw and Menominee counties in Michigan, as well as the Tug Hill Plateau of northern New York, much of Vermont and New Hampshire, and interior sections of southwest Maine. Winter Storm Warnings and Advisories ring the core blizzard zone across central New York, northeast Pennsylvania and southern New England. • The National Weather Service expects 10–28 cm (4–11 in) of snow in the warning areas, with localized higher totals in Michigan’s higher terrain and Vermont’s Green Mountains. Ice accretion up to 6 mm (0.25 in) is possible on the southern and western flanks of the storm. • Sustained winds will frequently top 35 mph, meeting official blizzard criteria of quarter-mile visibility for at least three consecutive hours. Gusts near the immediate lakeshore and along exposed ridges could push 45 mph, generating drifts several feet deep. Timing and highest-impact windows • Upper Great Lakes: Heaviest snow through Friday afternoon; blowing and drifting will linger overnight. • Adirondacks, northern Vermont and New Hampshire: Snow rates may exceed 2.5 cm (1 in) per hour late Friday afternoon and evening. • Maine and coastal New England: Peak impacts Friday evening into the early-morning hours of Saturday before tapering west to east. Biggest concerns 1. Road closures and stranded vehicles: State DOTs in Michigan and New York have already lowered speed limits on I-75, US-41 and portions of I-81. 2. Air travel disruptions: More than 300 flights were canceled at Detroit, Boston and Portland hubs ahead of the storm’s arrival. 3. Power outages: Wet, heavy snow combined with ice could snap tree limbs and power lines, particularly where totals exceed 25 cm (10 in). 4. Coastal flooding: Strong northeast winds will pile water into east-facing bays from Cape Cod to Downeast Maine during Friday night’s high tide. How to prepare now • Delay non-essential travel until Saturday afternoon. If driving is unavoidable, keep a full tank of fuel, blankets, high-visibility gear and a phone charger in your vehicle. • Charge portable electronics and gather flashlights and extra batteries before potential outages. • Remove snow from roofs and decks between bursts to reduce structural loading—especially important with the forecasted wet consistency. • Check on elderly neighbors and those with limited mobility; wind-chill values will plunge below −20 °F in open areas once the storm passes. Looking ahead Computer models indicate the storm center will slide into Atlantic Canada on Saturday, but Arctic air pouring in behind it will lock in bitter cold across the Northeast through Sunday morning. A secondary coastal low may redevelop near the Mid-Atlantic late Sunday, a scenario forecasters are monitoring for additional snowfall along the I-95 corridor early next week. Stay tuned to local National Weather Service offices for real-time updates and possible expansion of Blizzard Warnings as the system evolves.