Massive Winter Storm Could Dump Up to 2 Feet—See the Latest Snow Forecast and Timing

A potent early-season winter storm is on track to dump heavy, wind-whipped snow across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes through Wednesday, threatening to snarl peak Thanksgiving travel and trigger widespread winter storm warnings. Snow forecast and key totals • Twin Cities metro: 4–6 inches, with localized bands approaching 8 inches and wind gusts to 45 mph, creating near-blizzard visibility at times. • Northern and central Wisconsin: 8–12 inches, highest from Eau Claire to Wausau, with drifting snow reducing visibility to a quarter-mile or less. • Upper Michigan and western Great Lakes shoreline: 6–10 inches of lake-enhanced snow Wednesday night into Thursday, accompanied by 3–5 ft waves along open-water shorelines. • Plains states from the Dakotas into Nebraska and Iowa: 2–5 inches, tapering southward, with icy stretches on untreated roads overnight. Timing and track National Weather Service forecasters say the storm’s low-pressure center will race from the northern Plains into Ontario by late Wednesday, dragging an Arctic cold front southward. Snow begins in the eastern Dakotas before daybreak Tuesday, intensifies over Minnesota by afternoon, then pivots east into Wisconsin and Michigan overnight. Gusty northwest winds will linger through Thanksgiving Day, prolonging blowing snow and lake-effect squalls. Travel impacts • Airlines are already issuing travel waivers for Minneapolis–St. Paul, Chicago O’Hare, Milwaukee, Madison and Detroit as the storm threatens peak holiday passenger volumes. • Interstates 90, 94, 35 and 29 may see rapid deterioration, with flash-freezing pavement as temperatures tumble below freezing within an hour of the frontal passage. • Amtrak service across Wisconsin and Michigan could be delayed by drifting snow covering tracks and crossing signals. What to do now 1. Recheck flight and train status before heading to terminals; flexible rebooking is available without change fees through most major carriers. 2. Pack an emergency car kit—blankets, jumper cables, sand or cat litter, phone charger and high-energy snacks. 3. Delay road departures until plows have cleared primary routes, especially in rural stretches where white-outs are likely. 4. If you must drive, slow to 30 mph or less when visibility drops, keep headlights on low beam and maintain at least five car lengths behind snowplows. Looking ahead Models show the storm lifting into eastern Canada by early Friday, allowing skies to clear and winds to ease. Temperatures, however, remain 10–20 °F below average into the weekend, keeping residual snow and ice on secondary roads. Another weaker disturbance may brush the northern Plains late Sunday, but significant additional accumulations are not expected at this time. Bottom line The combination of heavy, wind-driven snow and record holiday traffic sets the stage for dangerous conditions from the Dakotas to Michigan. Travelers should finalize alternate plans, build extra buffer time into itineraries and stay tuned to the latest National Weather Service bulletins for updated snow totals and road closures.