At a Glance

Winter Storm Quid will dump heavy snow in parts of the Rockies, Plains and Midwest.Blizzard conditions are likely in some outlying areas.One large city may be on the fringe of the heaviest snow.

Winter Storm Quid is dumping heavy snow in parts of the Rockies and Midwest. This storm could produce plenty of snow for areas that have been basking in unseasonable warmth in recent days, and blizzard conditions might also verify.

But that's only part of the story. Here are nine things to know about this latest winter storm.

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1. It Could Dump Over a Foot of Snow

Embedded in a more-than-1,200-mile-long footprint of snow, Winter Storm Quid is expected to produce some snow totals of a foot or more both in the mountains of Wyoming and parts of the Corn Belt from northern Nebraska into Wisconsin.

Additional Snowfall Forecast

2. Yes, There May Be Thundersnow

Don't be surprised if you hear a clap of thunder, especially Friday morning, even if snow is falling.

Part of the reason for the heavy snowfall expected in parts of the upper Midwest is that Quid's snow may be accompanied by sufficient instability above the cold near-surface air to produce thundersnow.

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Snowfall rates of 2 inches or more per hour can occur in thundersnow.

Of course, lightning in thundersnow events can strike theground. So, if you're channeling your inner Jim Cantore to marvel at a rare sight, .

Meteorologist Jim Cantore is surprised by thundersnow in Plymouth, Massachusetts, during Winter Storm Neptune in February 2015.

(The Weather Channel TV)

3. Blizzard Conditions are Possible

Blizzard warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of the Plains and upper Midwest.

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In addition to those heavy snow rates, wind gusts over 40 mph may produce whiteout conditions in some areas, particularly outside cities or towns in relatively flat, treeless terrain.

Current winter watches, warnings and advisories

4. Twin Commutes Snarled in Twin Cities

Minneapolis-St. Paul has gone over three weeks without snow. With only 0.3 inches of snow this month (on Feb. 1), this is the least-snowy start to February at MSP International Airport since 1998.

Quid may bring two snowy commutes to the Twin Cities –Friday morning, and again Friday afternoon.

5. But Snow Totals Across the Twin Cities Could Vary A Lot

Often, the edge of a snowstorm's swath will lie right over a large metro area. In this case, it's the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

The far northwest metro area suburbs may see very little snow accumulation, while the southeast metro is more likely to pick up at least 6 inches.

That's quite a contrast over just a 60-mile-wide metro area. Such is the challenge of snowfall forecasting, sometimes.

6. In Chicagoland, Not So Much

Only a brief brush of light snow is expected in Chicago as Quid departs toward Canada overnight Friday and early Saturday morning.

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O'Hare International Airport's last inch of snow fell just over a week before Christmas (Dec. 17). Since then, the city has only picked up only 0.6 inches of snow. At O'Hare, only 1998 had less snow to start a year than 2017 since records began.

7. More Thunderstorms Than Snow in Chicago

Although it says "late February" on the calendar, the Windy City has a much higher chance of thunderstorms than a decent snowfall.

In fact, , mainly east of Chicago. The last severe weather to occur in Chicago during the month of February occurred over 18 years ago on Feb. 11, 1999.

Friday's Severe Threat

(Areas in red have the highest chance of severe thunderstorms. Areas in orange are expected to see thunderstorms, not necessarily reaching severe criteria.)

8. End of a Record-Smashing Warm Spell

Winter Storm Quid will finally bring some semblance of February reality to Midwest thermometers.

in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Moline, Illinois and Ottumwa, Iowa, among other locations.

But if you're ready for spring, temperatures should rebound in the Plains and Midwest by Sunday.

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Current Temperatures

9. More Snow Next Week?

As the calendar turns from February to March, yet another snowstorm may blanket parts of the upper Midwest around the middle of next week.

It's far too soon to pinpoint exact areas and accumulations, but some of the same areas hit by Quid could see snow from the next system.

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More Midwest Snow Next Week?

(Areas shown in darkest teal have the best chance of snow. Areas in pink may see either rain or snow. Areas in purple may see sleet or freezing rain.)

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been an incurable weather geek since a tornado narrowly missed his childhood home in Wisconsin at age 7.

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