Winter Storm Eboni will bring blizzard conditions to parts of the Plains.Very cold conditions and dangerous wind chills are expected behind Eboni.Impacts will not be limited to just the Plains and upper Midwest.
Potent Winter Storm Eboni will continue to spread heavy snow and strong winds from the Plains into the upper Midwest into late-week.
(MORE: Winter Storm Eboni Forecast)
Here are four things you need to know about the storm as it tracks across the country.
Winds will increase in the Plains well into Thursday as Winter Storm Eboni intensifies.
Many areas will see sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Wind gusts topping 50 mph are not out of the question in some parts of the Plains.
(MORE: Winter Storm Central)
The combination of strong winds and heavy snow may result in blizzard or near-blizzard conditions, especially in the Plains. Visibility will be severely limited and travel will be dangerous.
Blizzard conditions were reported Thursday morning in western Kansas.
The National Weather Service warned that travel could be very difficult to impossible in areas under a winter storm warning as well.
Near-blizzard conditions will also be a concern even after the snow has stopped falling due to snow on the ground being picked up by the wind.
Strong, gusty winds are also expected in areas where rain is expected.
Colder air is expected behind Winter Storm Eboni as arctic high pressure will build behind the system.
Temperatures will be near- to colder-than-average Thursday and Friday through the Plains as Eboni tracks northeastward into the Great Lakes late this week.
The National Weather Service in Minneapolis also cautioned that on Thursday night "as temperature tumble, we could be seeing a flash freeze into at least central Minnesota." This could lead to hazardous travel into early Friday.
Highs will only be in the single digits and teens late this week in the northern Plains and upper Midwest. Low temperatures will be in the single digits and teens below zero as far south as Nebraska on Saturday morning.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)
It will feel even colder in the wind, and dangerously cold wind chills are a concern as it could feel as cold as 25 degrees below zero in some spots.
Although the most dangerous winter weather conditions will be found in the Plains and upper Midwest into late-week, impacts from this system will be felt in other regions.
Precipitation may begin as snow, sleet and/or freezing rain in parts of the Northeast Thursday night, including far northeastern Pennsylvania, eastern New York and southern New England. By Friday morning, however, snow will likely be confined to northern New England and northeastern New York.
Up to 6 inches of snow is possible in parts of northern Maine and northern New Hampshire, with little-to-no accumulation farther south.
Gusty winds will also extend into the Great Lakes and Northeast late this week.
Heavy snow and strong winds will also extend into portions of southern Canada, including southern Ontario and Quebec.
This system is also expected to bring , including the risk of flooding in parts of the South.
Some locations have already seen or will see multiple precipitation types.
For example, Minneapolis/St. Paul had 2.9 inches of snow Wednesday night, but will see mainly rain on Thursday as warmer air surges northward. The rain may change back to snow in the Twin Cities Thursday night into Friday as colder air returns. Significant snow accumulations, however, are not expected.
Meanwhile, parts of Nebraska and South Dakota have seen rain change to snow as colder air is drawn southward on the backside of the system.
In New England, locations such as Albany, New York, Hartford, Connecticut, and Worcester, Massachusetts, may see icy travel conditions Thursday night into early Friday morning from a brief period of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Warmer temperatures will eventually change that icy mix to rain.