Snow and Freezing Rain Could Hamper Travel in Midwest and Northeast

Snow, sleet and freezing rain are snarling travel across the Midwest and Plains and in much of the Northeast during the first weekend of the New Year.

Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan could all see up to 3 inches of accumulation Saturday, said Weather Channel meteorologist Michael Palmer. Meanwhile, wind-whipped snow in New England is expected to cause poor visibility on the roads, with freezing rain stretching from Pennsylvania to upstate New York, reported Weather.com. Chicago, parts of Michigan, Maryland and Washington, D.C., can all expect bouts of freezing rain. Some counties in Maryland are also under a snow emergency plan, according to NBC Washington, meaning all vehicles are required to chain their tires.

The southern part of the country didn't escape the precipitation, but saw rain and severe thunderstorms, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue tornado warnings in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. Pasts of those states were also under severe flood watches, as was the western half of Tennessee.

This latest winter weather wallop follows snowfall in parts of the Northeast on Friday that caused a massive chain-reaction pileup in New Hampshire. Twelve people were injured in the 35-vehicle accident on Interstate 93, state police said. Parts of New Hampshire, as well as Vermont and Maine, could see another 3 to 6 inches of snow through Sunday morning, reported NBC affiliate WMUR.

The wintry blast preempts a cold front that will bring temperatures that are 10 to 30 degrees below January averages to the Plains and Midwest next week, according to Weather.com.