Winter storm warnings and watches issued from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes
Winter storm warnings and watches have been issued across a broad swath of the United States due to a long-duration winter storm forecast to affect the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley to the Midwest, Great Lakes, Appalachians, and parts of the Southwest. The system is expected to produce heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain, and significant ice accumulations, with impacts starting from Friday, January 23, 2026, through early next week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Image credit: NWS
A Winter Storm Warning covers much of central, northern, western, and eastern Arkansas from noon Friday through 18:00 CST Sunday. Counties under warning include Pulaski, Faulkner, White, Garland, Saline, Jefferson, Arkansas, Boone, Baxter, Marion, Sharp, Randolph, Independence, and surrounding areas.
Heavy mixed precipitation is forecast across the region, with snow and sleet accumulations of 10 to 25 cm (4–10 inches) in northern sections, 2.5 to 10 cm (1–4 inches) across central areas, and sleet and ice accumulations up to around 19 mm (0.75 inches) in southern and southeastern counties. Roads are expected to become slick and hazardous, with power outages and tree damage likely due to ice.
In New York, winter storm warnings remain in effect for areas east of Lake Ontario, including Oswego, Jefferson, and Lewis counties, where lake-effect snow accumulations of 60–90 cm (2–3 feet) are possible.
Winter storm warnings are in effect for almost the whole of Oklahoma and parts of northern Texas from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman, Muskogee, Stillwater, Lawton, and surrounding counties.
Snow accumulations of 15 cm (6 inches) or more in parts of the state, with ice accumulations up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) in southern areas. Gusts of up to 55 km/h (35 mph) could cause blowing snow and reduced visibility. Additional winter storm watches remain in effect for parts of the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Winter Storm Watches cover large areas of North, Central, and South Central Texas, including the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area, Austin, San Antonio, Waco, and surrounding counties. Forecasts indicate the potential for mixed precipitation, with snow accumulations of 2.5–12.5 cm (1–5 inches) and ice accumulations ranging from 2.5 to 20 mm (0.1–0.75 inches). Power outages and significant travel disruptions are possible, especially where ice accumulations are highest.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, areas under watch include the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas, as well as central, western, and southern portions of the state. Snow accumulations of 8–20 cm (3–8 inches) are forecast from late Friday night through Sunday morning. Travel may become very difficult, particularly during periods of heavier snowfall.
Winter storm watches are in effect for portions of central and southern Illinois, including Effingham, Clay, Richland, Fayette, Madison, and St. Clair counties. Snow accumulations of 10–20 cm (4–8 inches) are possible from late Friday night through Sunday morning, leading to difficult travel conditions.
Central, eastern, and northeastern Kansas are under winter storm watches from Friday evening through late Saturday night. Counties including Shawnee, Douglas, Lyon, Franklin, and Osage may receive 13–23 cm (5–9 inches) of snow, with hazardous road conditions expected.
Winter Storm Watches remain in effect across parts of central and northern Mississippi and northeast Louisiana. Significant impacts are expected from ice and sleet accumulations, with widespread power outages and tree damage possible.
Watches cover central, eastern, and northern New Mexico from Friday morning through late Saturday night. Snow accumulations of 10–25 cm (4–10 inches) are forecast in lower elevations, with up to 40 cm (16 inches) possible above 2 900 m (9 500 feet). Travel along major corridors, including Interstate 40 and Interstate 25, may be severely impacted.
The entirety of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland are under a Winter Storm Watch through the weekend into Monday afternoon, with watches likely to get upgraded into warnings or expire at different times.
Nearly the whole of North Carolina and parts of northwestern South Carolina are under a watch through the same period. Snowfall totals of over 15 cm (6 inches) with localized totals of up to 30 cm (12 inches) are forecast across the region.
References:
1 Winter Storm Warning – NWS – January 22, 2026
2 Winter Storm Watch – NWS – January 22, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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