Winter weather alerts are in place for parts of 17 states as two separate storm systems bring heavy snowfall to New England and northern states through the weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings for Alaska, California, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Advisories are also in place for Connecticut, the Dakotas, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin.
In its latest forecast, the NWS said a weather front will produce snow showers over the Midwest and Great Lakes on Friday. It will then shift into the Ohio Valley to dump a swath of heavy snow over areas downwind of Lake Ontario and into New England.
Parts of New England have already seen some late-winter snow due to another storm this week. Up to a foot of snowfall is predicted for the region by Sunday morning.
In Maine, up to an additional 18 inches of snow is expected, with winds of up to 40 miles an hour creating areas of blowing snow that will reduce visibility. A light glaze of ice is also anticipated, making for slippery surfaces.
Up to 18 inches of snow is also forecast for New Hampshire, along with sleet, ice and winds of up to 35 miles an hour.
