Nuisance snow to sweep from Iowa to Missouri, Illinois through Sunday
Before a nor’easter threatens the East Coast, snow will streak across the central United States this weekend with areas of slick travel.
"This will not be a big snowstorm for any one area," AccuWeather Meteorologist Steve D. Travis said, "but there can be quick inch or two, especially on grassy surfaces."
The quick-moving storm is expected to sweep from southwestern Minnesota to Iowa, Missouri and southern Illinois through Sunday.
Motorists planning to travel on stretches of interstates 29, 35, 70, 80 and 90 should still be prepared for roads to become slushy and slippery for a time.
"If the snow comes down heavily enough for a brief period of time, there could be some accumulation on roads that can lead to slick conditions," Travis said.
Due to the strong March sun, light snowfall struggles to stick to roads from the midmorning to the afternoon this time of year.
"In order for snow to accumulate on roads in mid-March at those hours, it must snow at a heavy rate to cool down both the atmosphere and the road surface," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
It is a different story at night when light snowfall can more easily coat roads and sidewalks and lead to slick conditions.
The snow may whiten Des Moines, Iowa, and St. Louis, Columbia and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sunday prior to coating Paducah, Kentucky, on Sunday night.
The heaviest band of snow is expected to be narrow and only bring the greatest impacts to travel to a smaller portion of the above corridor.
A subtle shift in where this band sets up will mean the difference between wet roads and slick travel in communities that are about 50 to 100 miles apart.
While the greatest opportunity for snow to coat roads is expected across northern and central Missouri, wet snow may be seen south of St. Louis into southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
Accumulating snow is expected to ramp back up across the southern Appalachians and southern mid-Atlantic on Sunday night into Monday before the strengthening nor’easter may sweep up to eastern New England early this week.
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