When the blockbuster winter storm will arrive in your city
By CNN Lead Meteorologist Brandon Miller
(CNN) — A major winter storm, one of the most extreme and expansive in years, is starting to develop over the Plains and will impact much of the United States.
Over the next few days, the storm will drop up to a foot of snow and crippling amounts of ice over an area spanning 2,000 miles from Texas to New England.
Here’s a look at what to expect in a few major cities in the path of the storm. All times are in eastern.
Dallas
Dallas will get mostly ice from this storm, though it will experience all types of precipitation over the next 48 hours, including rain, ice and sleet.
Sporadic rain Friday will turn to freezing rain and ice around midnight that will continue off and on until Sunday morning. An inch or two of snow could then fall on top of the ice Sunday morning.
When will precipitation fall?
• Rain: Friday 9 a.m. – Saturday 12 a.m.
• Freezing rain: Saturday 12 a.m. – Sunday 6 a.m.
• Snow: Sunday 6 a.m. – Sunday 12 a.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Freezing rain: Saturday 3 a.m. – Sunday 3 a.m.
• Snow: Sunday 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Storm totals:
• Ice: 0.25 – 0.50 inches
• Snow: 1 – 3 inches
Memphis
Cities like Memphis that are between the storm’s expansive footprint of snow and ice will likely switch back and forth between the two as temperatures change both at the ground level and higher up in the atmosphere.
Snow will likely begin early Saturday morning before changing over to sleet and freezing rain on Saturday afternoon. Freezing rain will continue and off until Sunday afternoon before a quick changeover back to snow as the colder air rushes in.
When will precipitation fall?
• Snow: Saturday 4 a.m. – Saturday 2 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
• Freezing rain: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 12 p.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Freezing rain: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 8 a.m.
• Snow: Saturday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Storm totals:
• Ice: 0.25 – 0.75 inches
• Snow and sleet: 2 – 4 inches
Atlanta
Atlanta is also on the edge between precipitation types, but between rain and freezing rain instead of ice and snow. Some light rain on Saturday will likely changeover to freezing rain Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Warmer air should change it back into rain on Sunday afternoon before the really cold air moves in Monday morning.
When will precipitation fall?
• Rain: Saturday 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – Sunday 10 p.m.
• Freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Sunday 10 a.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Sunday 10 a.m.
Storm totals:
• Ice: 0.1 – 0.3 inches
Louisville
If you like snow, Louisville will be one of the big winners in this storm. The city will be just north of the freezing rain line so it stays all snow for this storm. This will likely be Louisville’s biggest snowfall in decades and could even challenge their record snow of 17.9 inches from February 1998.
When will precipitation fall?
• Snow: Saturday 1 p.m. – Sunday 8 p.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Snow: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 4 p.m.
Storm totals:
• Snow: 10 – 16 inches
Charlotte
There’s major concern in Charlotte for damaging ice. The Interstate 85 corridor in the Carolinas could see widespread ice totals of 0.75 to 1.25 inches, more than enough to topple trees and cause widespread power outages.
When will precipitation fall?
• Sleet and freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Monday 12 a.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Freezing rain: Sunday 4 a.m. – Sunday 8 p.m.
Storm totals:
• Ice: 0.50 – 1.00 inches
Washington, DC
Washington, DC, is looking at their biggest snowfall in more than five years this weekend, but the storm won’t deliver just snow. Some freezing rain is likely to fall on top of the snow, making for heavy, dangerous mess.
Snow should begin after dark on Saturday and pick up quickly, accumulating to near double-digit inches by Sunday morning. The changeover to freezing rain is expected early in the afternoon on Sunday.
When will precipitation fall?
• Snow: Saturday 8 p.m. – Sunday 1 p.m.
• Freezing rain: Sunday 12 p.m. – Monday 12 a.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Snow: Sunday 2 a.m. – Sunday 2 p.m.
• Freezing rain: Sunday 4 p.m. – Monday 12 a.m.
Storm totals:
• Ice: Up to 0.25 inches
• Snow: 8 – 12 inches
Philadelphia
Mostly snow will fall in Philadelphia, which should deliver their most snow in a decade. But like many other locations close to the snow-ice line, such as Washington, DC, and Baltimore, the snow will likely changeover to freezing rain for a bit towards the end of the event.
The ice will increase the weight of the snow and make it more difficult to remove. Snow totals could stay below 10 inches if more sleet or freezing rain mix in earlier in the storm.
When will precipitation fall?
• Snow: Sunday 12 a.m. – Monday 6 a.m.
• Freezing rain: Sunday 4 p.m. – Monday 12 a.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Snow: Sunday 2 a.m. – Sunday 6 p.m.
Storm totals:
• Ice: Less than 0.10 inches
• Snow: 8 – 14 inches
New York City
New York City looks to stay nearly all snow in this event, allowing totals to climb to amounts the city hasn’t seen in five years.
Snow will begin after midnight Sunday morning and last all the way until midday Monday. Some sleet could mix in overnight Sunday night. If more sleet mixes in, it could keep the totals down a bit.
When will precipitation fall?
• Snow: Sunday 1 a.m. – Monday 1 p.m.
Peak impact timing:
• Snow: Sunday 8 a.m. – Sunday 11 p.m.
Storm totals:
• Snow: 10 – 14 inches
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
