The parade of winter storms crossing the country will continue into Hanukkah and Christmas. Each storm will target the Midwest and Northeast after emerging from the West.

There will be no caboose to a train of storms crossing the country prior to Christmas. Three more storms will travel from the West Coast to the Northeast in the days leading up to the holiday.

Each storm will produce substantial snow and soaking rain over the Midwest and Northeast. A layer of ice will be sandwiched in between.

The storm currently leading the train will emerge onto the Plains tonight, but not before blanketing the southern Rockies with up to a foot of snow today.

The Midwest Regional News story states the storm will be preceded by light freezing rain over the central Plains today. Motorists and those walking by foot should use caution as just a touch of ice can create slippery spots.

The storm will blossom over the central Plains tonight as it taps into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The resultant steady snow, ice and rain will streak across the Midwest into the mid-Atlantic. The wintry mess will encompass more of the Northeast on Friday.

The Winter Weather Center is forecasting substantial snow to accompany the storm. Between 6 to 12 inches will fall from southern Wisconsin to southern New England, including the cities of Detroit, Buffalo and Boston.

Snow amounts will be close to 6 inches in Chicago tonight into Friday morning. A wintry mix changing to rain on Friday will limit snow totals in New York City and Philadelphia.

The Severe Weather Center displays the numerous storm-related watches and warnings currently in effect.

The major winter storm threatens to cancel school and significantly disrupt travel, both on the ground and in the air, across the Midwest and Northeast tonight into Friday. Flight delays in these regions could force delays at other airports across the nation.

The potential for the ice to down power lines will be greatest from northern Missouri to northern Indiana. Only snow will blanket the areas hit hard by last week's ice storm in the Northeast.

The storm began its path across the nation in the Southwest on Wednesday. The storm pounded the region with drenching rain and heavy snow, which fell at extremely low elevations.

Twenty-two inches of snow blanketed Llano, Calif., situated at 3,800 feet in the upper deserts northeast of Los Angeles. Wrightwood, a nearby mountain, received 30 inches.

The snow set numerous records in Las Vegas, Nev., on Wednesday. The city picked up 3.6 inches, the greatest ever on a December calendar day.

There have only been five occurrences of measurable snow in Las Vegas during December, including Wednesday's snow. The Weather Summaries page has more details.

Snow also overspread the Northwest on Wednesday. One to 2 feet of snow buried the Washington Cascades. Spokane, Wash., shattered its previous daily snowfall record of 5 inches from 1984 with 12.5 inches.

The storm that produced Wednesday's snow over the Northwest will deliver more across the region today, prompting the issuance of related warnings and advisories.

This storm will be the next to bring substantial snow and ice to parts of the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, according to the East Regional News story.

There is one main difference between this latter storm and the system currently approaching the Midwest. Bitterly cold air is following the storm over the Northwest, but not the storm over the Rockies.

The West Regional News story states temperatures will be held to the single digits on Saturday across the interior Northwest. Temperatures will once again remain subzero over Montana and North Dakota this day.

The storm this weekend will still not end the train of storms headed for the Midwest and Northeast. A storm will likely return more snow the two days prior to Christmas.