Deadly winter storm to dump heavy snow from Kansas to North Carolina

Another major and deadly winter storm is unfolding across major cities in the Plains and Midwest before heavy snow charges eastward into areas suffering from recent flooding in Kentucky and Tennessee.

The storm will conclude with a blow to parts of the East Coast later this week.

The FOX Forecast Center said snow is overspreading the central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.

A strong arctic high-pressure system to the north means the cold air needed for significant snow accumulations is in place as the system organizes over the central US.

Winter weather alerts have been posted from the central Plains eastward through parts of Virginia and North Carolina.

Some of the heaviest snow will fall across Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Kentucky through Wednesday. 

On Monday, this winter storm turned deadly when a trooper with the Nebraska Highway Patrol was killed after he was hit by a snowplow while responding to a crash on Interstate 80 between Ashland and Greenwood.

As the storm continued to head east, a Kansas City, Kansas, driver survived a rollover crash on a slick Interstate 70 early Tuesday morning thanks to his seatbelt, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The driver lost control of his truck, struck a guardrail and rolled multiple times but walked away from the wreckage unharmed.

Farther south, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported numerous crashes across the Oklahoma City metro area on Tuesday morning. Many semi-trucks have jackknifed. Troopers attributed the accidents to drivers speeding in hazardous weather conditions.

For much of Tuesday, travel along Interstate 49 and Interstate 44 in Missouri and the Ozarks could be dangerous due to heavy snow and gusty winds, reducing visibility. 

Major cities, including St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, could see heavy snow. According to the FOX Forecast Center, this storm could bring Springfield’s snowiest day in over a decade if at least 8 inches of snow piles up.

Cities in Kansas, including Topeka and Wichita, are forecast to see up to 8 inches of snow, with a foot of snow possible in Eureka. 

By Tuesday night, the storm will move into the Tennessee River Valley, which is still recovering from deadly flash flooding over the weekend.

Some areas under flood alerts on Monday are also under Winter Storm Warnings this week, including Kentucky. 

The biggest winter weather impacts will happen across this region on Wednesday. 

Paducah, Kentucky, could see up to a foot of snow, and between 3 and 5 inches of snow is forecast in portions of Middle Tennessee.

Some computer forecast models showed a major snowstorm potential along the Interstate 95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast mid- to late-week, but those regions are now likely to miss out on any meaningful snow as the latest forecast shows the system staying farther south.

Accumulating snow appears most likely in the southern mid-Atlantic region, including parts of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and the southern Delmarva Peninsula.

Winter Storm Watches and Warnings are in effect through Thursday for central and southern Virginia and central and eastern North Carolina.

Snowfall accumulations could reach between 5 and 10 inches for these areas. Wind gusts around 35 mph will complicate travel, with hazardous conditions expected for the Wednesday evening commute.