The second winter storm of the week is racing across the continental US, promising to drop heavy snowfall on the Midwest and Northeast by Sunday. So far, 42 million people are under winter alerts ahead of it. And this storm won't be close to the end of it, CNN reports. Five storms overall are expected before this wave is finished. The jet stream is holding a line from the West Coast to the East, with warm, rainy weather to the south of it and cold, snowy weather to the north, per the New York Times, leaving the borderline areas with a sloppy, wintry mix. Every few days for a while, the jet stream will send another quickly moving storms across the northern section.
The one on its way was moving through the northern Rockies on Friday, on track to cross the lower 48 in less than 72 hours. Forecasts predict 3 to 6 inches of snow to fall from central Minnesota through central Michigan, with less in the slightly south places such as Chicago and Detroit, per CNN. By Saturday evening, Pennsylvania can expect freezing rain, sleet, and snow, with New Jersey and New York City in line next. Much of New England and upstate New York are looking for more snow than Thursday's snow delivered. For the I-95 corridor, per NBC News, the heaviest snowfall will happen late Saturday night to early Sunday morning.
The timing of the next two storms isn't in focus yet. They're likely to deliver heavy snow, sleet, and ice from the Ohio Valley to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. After one develops midweek in the Plains, there could be a brief lull before another cross-country storm brings more snow and more ice to the eastern half of the US. Thursday's storm led to car crashes and power outages. (More snowstorm stories.)