Winter Storm Ion Forecast: Heavy Midwest Snow, Freezing Rain for South and East, Then Widespread Brutal Cold
Winter Storm Ion Bringing More Snow
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Winter Storm Ion Bringing More Snow 
Life Threatening Cold 
Winter Storm Ion is spreading a swath of heavy snow across the Midwest, and its icy tentacles will also bring wintry weather into the South and parts of the East. Following closely behind Ion will be a blast of brutally cold air.
(MORE: Dangerous Cold Blast)
What can you expect from the snowy side of Ion? We have the forecast details below.
Snow, Wintry Mix From Midwest into Deep South
Current Radar
Snowfall Forecast
Sunday Night South Forecast
The primary low pressure center associated with Winter Storm Ion will continue to intensify as it tracks northeast Sunday night. The low should be near Toronto by 3 a.m. Monday.
This track has lead to widespread accumulating snow from Missouri to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and southern Lower Michigan. The National Weather Service placedwinter storm warnings into effect for large portions of these states, valid through Sunday evening and the wee hours of Monday morning. Additionally, a blizzard warning has been issued through the overnight hours for parts of north-central Indiana and far southwestern Michigan.
The snow will wind down from southwest to northeast Sunday night. Most areas west of Interstate 65 should be done with the snow by midnight Sunday night. Although, by 10 p.m. Sunday, snow totals had already exceeded 12 inches in parts of Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois.
In parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and Ohio, there will be a period of rain changing over to snow as the arctic cold front charges east Sunday night. Snowfall amounts will be lighter in these areas owing to the shorter duration of the snow.
The changeover from rain to snow or a mix of sleet and freezing rain has reached into the Deep South as well, starting in north Mississippi late Sunday afternoon, it will then briefly swept into north Alabama Sunday evening,. Sunday overnight, the changeover to snow will move into north Georgia after midnight. Although snow and ice accumulations will be light, slick travel conditions are likely, especially on bridges and overpasses, given that the arriving blast of sharply colder air will likely freeze any moisture on the roads. Icy patches could remain a problem through Tuesday night as temperatures stay well below freezing all day Monday and Tuesday in these normally mild locales.
Additional lake-effect snow in the wake of Winter Storm Ion will add to the totals over west and southwest Michigan and parts of far northern Indiana, boosting storm totals past the one-foot mark. Lake-effect snows will also kick in for northeast Ohio Monday through Wednesday with significant amounts possible.
Ion is also impacting the Northeast, but with a different outcome from what we just saw with Winter Storm Hercules.
Ion Slides Through the Northeast
Sunday Night Forecast
Monday's Forecast
Since the area of low pressure associated with Ion will track inland across the Ohio Valley into Ontario through Sunday night, we are not expecting much snow in the Northeast.
Unfortunately, the recent cold air mass is dense and stubborn and is not easily scoured out by the southerly winds ahead of Winter Storm Ion. As a result, freezing rain remains a concern from northern Virginia northward into upstate New York and New England.
The highest ice totals are expected to be in a small area from northwest Virginia through north-central Maryland into parts of south-central Pennsylvania. Here, 1/4 inch of ice glaze may be enough to snap some tree limbs and cause spotty power outages before temperatures rise above freezing Sunday night. Untreated pavement will be very slick in affected areas, so walk and drive with caution.
Farther north over interior New England, the wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain Sunday evening should gradually change over to rain from south to north through the night. Northernmost areas of New England, however, may remain icy all night.
Bitterly cold wind flow around the departing low pressure system will also allow lake-effect snow to develop east of Lakes Erie and Ontario Monday through Wednesday, affecting areas from Erie, Pa. to Buffalo, N.Y., and between Syracuse and Watertown, N.Y. Snow accumulations will likely exceed 2 feet east of Lake Erie and well over 3 feet east of Lake Ontario, causing travel to become nearly impossible on the usual stretches of I-90 and I-81, respectively. Closures are likely due to the combination of heavy snow and extremely dangerous wind chills.
MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Photos of Winter Storm Ion
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The Chicago skyline and a freezing Lake Michigan are seen from the Museum Campus in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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