How much snow is your state getting this weekend? See latest forecast

How much snow is your state getting this weekend? See latest forecast

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Wed, January 21, 2026 at 7:42 PM UTC

3 min read

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A major, widespread winter storm will lash much of the South, Midwest and Northeast on Friday, Jan. 23 through Monday, Jan. 26 with heavy snow likely for tens of millions of people from New Mexico to New England, according to Weather.com.

"It’s not hyperbole to call this storm a monster," said Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll on X on Jan. 21. "At its peak on Sunday (Jan. 25), 55 percent of all people in the United States are forecast to simultaneously experience snow, sleet or freezing rain. That’s more than half the population, at the same time," he said.

Widespread travel disruptions are likely across the country this weekend, according to AccuWeather. "Icy and snow-covered roads could force highway closures lasting for hours," said Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather chief meteorologist, in an e-mail to USA TODAY.

"Key east-to-west interstates that are critical for travel, commerce, and deliveries, including Interstates 20, 30, and 40, could experience closures around the same time, compounding challenges for travelers and supply chains."

As for snowfall totals, heavy snow of 6-12 inches is likely in the heart of the Plains, with over 2 feet possible in parts of the Appalachians, AccuWeather said in an online forecast.

How much snow falls in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will depend on the storm's exact track, but a significant and plowable amount − likely up to or over a foot − is possible.

Ice collects on the fountain Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at the Westin Poinsett Hotel in Greenville, South Carolina. The Upstate is expected to see freezing temperatures and the possibility of snow over the weekend.

Maclovio Vega shows his 9-year-old son Maky Vega how to go down a hill with a sled at McKinley Park on Saturday Jan.17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisc.

A white-tailed deer forages along Impounding Dam Road in the snow, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in West Manheim Township, Pa.

A worker uses a leaf blower to clear snow along Route 202 in Somers, NY on Jan. 17, 2026.

Traffic is slow entering Interstate 684 in Brewster, NY during a steady snowfall on Jan. 17, 2026.

A North Salem Highway Department snowplow works along Route 116 in North Salem, NY on Jan. 17, 2026.

A workers clearing snow on a sidewalk along Katonah Ave in downtown Katonah, NY on Jan. 17, 2026.

Snow falls on Grove Street in Montclair, NJ, early on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.

A town snow plow clears an intersection in Ashburnham, Mass. on Jan. 18, 2026. Ashburnham received 7 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow falls early Sunday morning Jan. 18, 2026 off University Pkwy in Pensacola, Fla.

Snow falls early Sunday morning Jan. 18, 2026 at The University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla.

A sign warns of possible icy conditions in Pensacola, Fla. on Jan. 18, 2026.

Snow falls early Sunday morning Jan. 18, 2026 at a car dealership in Pensacola, Fla.

See a brutal cold blast blanket the Eastern US

Ice collects on the fountain Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at the Westin Poinsett Hotel in Greenville, South Carolina. The Upstate is expected to see freezing temperatures and the possibility of snow over the weekend.

Southern Plains and Mid-South

The heaviest snow, potentially up to a foot, is expected across central Oklahoma on Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24, according to AccuWeather. Lesser amounts, likely 3-6 inches, will fall in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Texas.

In Arkansas, there is a 30-50% chance of exceeding 6 inches of snow over central and northern parts of the state, the weather service said. In Tennessee, the highest probabilities for at least 6 inches of snow favor areas north of Interstate 40, the weather service said.

Snow, sleet and ice could sink even a bit farther south in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, while it picks up in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and parts of the Carolinas, said Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast.

A massive swath of snow and freezing rain is forecast for the upcoming storm.

Southeast and East Coast

Wintry precipitation will end in Texas, Oklahoma and the lower Mississippi Valley by midday Sunday, Jan. 25, but will persist from the Ohio Valley to the piedmont of Virginia and the Carolinas into the Northeast, according to Weather.com. Some areas of heavy snow are also possible in parts of the Ohio Valley.

The winter storm "has the potential to bring widespread heavy snow to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend," according to Weather.com.

Maps posted by Weather.com showed totals of as much as 2-3 feet of snow in southern Virginia, with widespread 1-2 feet across a wide swath of the Mid-Atlantic.

"Latest model trends show the higher snow totals shifting north into Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. The heaviest snow looks to fall Saturday night, Jan. 24 into Sunday, Jan. 25, making travel difficult to impossible. Snow may even linger across New England on Monday Jan. 26, depending on where the storm is positioned," Weather.com said.

Forecast uncertainty

According to the National Weather Service, "confidence is high that a significant storm will occur, but not on specific details for the storm track, timing and precipitation amounts. Start preparations now for an impactful and prolonged winter storm and keep up to date with the forecast."

Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How much snow is your state getting this weekend? See latest forecast

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