A winter storm is bringing a snowy start to the day across the mid-Atlantic, with nearly all of Virginia waking up to accumulating snow and major cities like Richmond and Washington, D.C., seeing their first snowflakes of the season.
In the nation’s capital, only flurries have arrived so far, but up to an inch of snow is possible before the system leaves Friday afternoon. Richmond could see 1 to 3 inches.
Farther north, Portland, Maine, set a daily record for low temperatures after dropping to at least 3 degrees, with even colder temperatures possible. Chicago hit just 10 degrees, its coldest temperature since Feb. 20, although it is starting to warm as frigid air moves east.
Wind chills are also a factor in the Midwest and Northeast, as Buffalo and Boston are below freezing Friday morning, and New York City is waking up to wind chills in the 10s.
A snowplow truck drives through a snowy day in Wheeling, Illinois, on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
Nam Y.Huh/AP
Arctic air is also expected to bring renewed cold to Minneapolis, where wind chills will drop each day over the weekend and high temperatures are forecast to barely climb above freezing on Sunday.
Next week, another blast of cold air is expected to keep the Midwest and Northeast well below freezing, a pattern that should hold through much of December.
Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountains from Idaho to Colorado are expected to experience significant snowfall over the weekend, with higher elevations receiving more than a foot and some areas topping 2 feet between Friday and Sunday morning.
A fast-moving storm is also expected to hit the Dakotas and Nebraska, bringing a light dusting of snow. By the time it reaches Iowa on Friday afternoon, snowfall totals could increase by 3 to 7 inches as the system strengthens and spreads.
