More bad weather is on the way across the nation to close out 2025, with forecasters warning of blizzard conditions and a potential “bomb cyclone” that could make post-holiday travel hazardous as the New Year approaches.
A winter storm swept across parts of the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, snarling traffic heading home after the Christmas holiday. Some New Englanders woke up Dec. 27 to 4 to 8 inches of snow. A second storm is headed to some of the same areas within days, the National Weather Service said.
Meanwhile, a “Blue Norther,” or a sudden cold snap that can plunge temperatures as much as 40 degrees or more within as little as a few minutes, will stretch through the central and southern Plains on Dec. 28, while a low pressure system hits the Midwest.
From sub-zero temperatures in Montana to thunderstorms and a blizzard across the Great Lakes, here’s what we know about the foul weather in store:
The interactive map below shows all of the weather alerts (warnings, watches and advisories) currently in effect from the National Weather Service. This map is updated every 15 minutes.
A Blue Norther (“a strong cold front marked by a sudden and drastic decrease in temperature,” according to Accuweather) will surge southward through the central and southern Plains on Dec. 28, the weather service said.
“The speed of the cold air intrusion will plunge temperatures to below zero in Montana by Sunday morning with wind chills below -30 degrees under blustery northerly winds,” the weather service said.
A wave of strong thunderstorms will signal the Blue Norther has arrived in the South, where temperatures in the mid-70s and low 80s are expected on Dec. 27 from Texas to the Tennessee Valley.
The most famous Blue Norther happened in 1911, when on Nov. 11 a large part of the Midwest saw drops of 40 to 50 degrees in a few minutes, with several locations breaking both high and low record temperatures on the same day, accompanied by severe thunderstorms. Oklahoma City saw a record high of 83 degrees followed by a drastic drop to reach a record low of 17 degrees by midnight.
Snow, ice and freezing rain are expected in another round of winter storms in the Midwest, Great Lakes region and the Northeast between Dec. 28 and 29, AccuWeather meteorologists said.
“There is a good chance the storm will undergo rapid intensification and become a ‘bomb cyclone’ between Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon over the Great Lakes,” AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. “To meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, the storm’s central pressure must drop at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period.”
A bomb cyclone happens when a process known as bombogenesis occurs, when a weather system with cold, dry air meets a mass of warm, moist air, and triggers rapid intensification, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A low pressure system interacting with a mass of arctic air will bring snow to the northern and central Rockies, and the nearby High Plains late Dec. 27 and into Dec. 28, the weather service said. An intensifying low pressure system will accelerate across the Midwest to the Great Lakes, bringing blizzard conditions by the night of Dec. 28 and morning of Dec. 29. Blowing snow and whiteout conditions are expected, along with over a foot of accumulated snow.
“An all-out blizzard can take place across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin from Sunday night and Monday as the storm passes by,” Buckingham said. “Wind gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour combined with heavy snow will likely make travel conditions extremely difficult, if not impossible for a time.”
Parts of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine should all see icy conditions, AccuWeather reported.
Wondering how much snow is in the forecast? USA TODAY’s detailed winter weather forecast map below lets you explore where snow is expected over the next few hours and days.
In one bit of good news, the atmospheric river that dumped several inches of rain over parts of Southern California in recent days is easing up on Dec. 27, with drier weather expected through the start of next week, AccuWeather reported.
The rainfall triggered evacuations over the Christmas holiday, mudslides and power outages. Multiple deaths were blamed on the storm. Daily rainfall totals were smashed as roads turned to rivers and homes and cars were buried in mud. Particularly vulnerable to flooding were burn scars, areas that saw recent wildfires that don’t absorb rainfall very well, including the sites of the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025.
These are some of the rainfall totals over three days, according to AccuWeather:
Contributing: Doyle Rice and Dinah Voyles Pulver