The first day of spring is only a week away, and parts of the Midwest and the entire Northeast are getting a harsh reminder it's still winter.
The moisture and energy from a small winter storm moving across Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio is about to run into a developing low racing up the East Coast.
It's all adding up to the most widespread winter storm to hit the Northeast all season long, and it's happening after an unusually warm January and February with little to no snow at all.
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Snowfall totals in the Midwest won't amount to much more than a typical winter storm most of those places are used to seeing during the winter months.
In the Northeast, it's a different story with upwards of a foot or more of snow expected in many spots from Virginia up to Maine, and many places will see at least 6 inches of snow by the end of Tuesday and into Wednesday.
In addition to the snow, strong winds — possibly gusting up to 40 miles per hour — will be felt across a huge swath of the Northeast, which is why the National Weather Service has already issued blizzard warnings from New Jersey to New York and Connecticut.
Once the storm moves completely out of the region by late Wednesday, skies will begin to clear, but the cold winter chill will remain through at least the end of the week, so the last week of winter may finally look the part after an entire season with little to no winter weather at all.
Follow Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyersvia the Storm Shield appon Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.
