Coast-to-coast storm to pack hurricane-force winds, tricky travel conditions, as active La Niña winter unfolds

Coast-to-coast storm to pack hurricane-force winds, tricky travel conditions

A powerful coast-to-coast storm is set to move into the Northern Plains and Northern Rockies beginning Wednesday, bringing wind gusts of 50-70 mph. From there it will deliver mostly rain as it tracks east across the country through the end of the workweek. The powerful winds could have the potential to cause delays at airports as holiday travel begins to increase.

The latest chapter in what has been an active start to meteorological winter is getting underway in the form of a coast-to-coast storm that is expected to pack hurricane-force wind gusts and impact more than 30 states.

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This powerful storm is set to move out of the Pacific Northwest, where heavy rains have exacerbated last week's historic flooding in Washington, into the Northern Plains and Northern Rockies beginning Wednesday, bringing wind gusts of 50-70 mph. From there it will deliver mostly rain and some snow as it tracks east across the country through the end of the workweek. 

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These powerful wind gusts could have the potential to cause delays at airports as holiday travel begins to increase.

Wednesday: High winds blast Northern Plains and Northern Rockies  

The area of low pressure associated with this storm is expected to quickly intensify Wednesday, delivering wind gusts of 50-70 mph across much of Montana, as well as parts of Idaho, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Isolated gusts could even approach 80-90 mph. 

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The National Weather Service (NWS) issued High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories across Montana through Wednesday. Temperatures will be cold enough for snow across the region, which, combined with strong wind gusts, could lead to periods of whiteout driving conditions.

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The system is expected to fully exit the Northwest by Wednesday night.

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Thursday: Whiteout driving conditions possible in Upper Midwest, rain expected across Mississippi River Valley 

Moving into Thursday, the main area of low pressure driving the storm is expected to hug the U.S.-Canada border, while a strong and fast-moving cold front surges southward. 

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High winds with 50+ mph gusts and snow will remain the main concern for both drivers and those traveling by plane across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Iowa. 

Early morning rain is forecast to turn into snow by Thursday afternoon across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Michigan, and whiteout conditions will again be the main travel issue through Thursday night.

Snow begins to fall across Cincinnati on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, public schools were canceled.

(Katie Byrne/FOX Weather)

Meanwhile, the cold front will deliver rain on Thursday to areas farther south in the Midwest, as well as the Mississippi River Valley and parts of the South.

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This rain could help melt snow after last week's winter storms blanketed cities like Chicago, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati.

Southern Missouri, Arkansas and the Tennessee Valley will all see rain by Thursday evening, as the storm could cause delays across a swath of airports across the central U.S.

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Friday: Snow stays confined to lake-effect regions, Interstate 95 washout to end week

The final leg of the storm is forecast to reach the East Coast late Thursday night into Friday, as the strong cold front sweeps through the region.

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The parent area of low pressure will remain well within Canada, keeping the coldest air and snow locked to the north. However, lake-effect snow regions off of Lakes Erie and Ontario, as well as the interior Northeast.

Meanwhile, Friday morning could feature a widespread washout from Maine all the way down to Florida.  

FILE - NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 12: A man holding an umbrella battles with powerful winds and heavy rain during the powerful nor'easter at the Brighton Beach, in Brooklyn, New York, United States on October 12, 2025. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency for eight counties of the state and canceled the Columbus Day Parade in New York City after urging New Yorkers to continue to prepare as a strong coastal storm is set to impact much of New York beginning Sunday afternoon. 

((Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

The rain could lead to some isolated flash flooding across northern New England due to extra water runoff from snow-covered grounds. NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 1 out of 4 flash flood risk for an area covering northern Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

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Across the northeast coast, periods of heavy rain and strong wind gusts could cause air travel disruption across some of the country's busiest airports.

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Farther south, warm air could allow for the potential development of some severe thunderstorms over Kentucky and Tennessee Friday morning.

This latest storm bears out the long-range outlook from NOAA last month that forecast an active start to meteorological winter, due in part to the La Niña climate pattern.

Check for updates on this developing story.