Snow and wind likely to impact travel south of Minnesota

KMSP - It’s been pretty smooth sailing nationwide for the biggest travel week of the year, but it’s about to hit a couple of speed bumps.  Wind and rain are spreading through the Northeast on Saturday, which could cause some hefty delays, but it’s the next storm rolling into the central U.S. that is likely to cause some major delays in the center of the country on Sunday and early Monday.

As this storm rapidly strengthens in the western Plains on Saturday, winds could gust over 65 mph in Denver, which is likely to cause some significant delays at one of the nation’s busiest airports. But once we get to Sunday, it will be parts of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes that get blanketed by up to a foot of snow.

The flakes will start flying late Saturday in Colorado and western Nebraska and spread eastward Sunday and Sunday night spreading a swath of snow from Omaha and Kansas City, over to Chicago and Milwaukee.  Right now, looks like the heaviest snow will fall across southern Iowa, northern Illinois (including the north suburbs of Chicago), and extreme southern Wisconsin.  This is the corridor where a widespread 8-12 inches of white will be possible.  If the current track holds, that would likely cause significant delays and cancellations at both Chicago airports Sunday and Monday, which could have nationwide consequences.  Meanwhile, even driving through the I-80 and I-70 corridors will be tough through Monday, so consider yourself warned.