About 19 million people across the West and Midwest were under winter weather alerts on Saturday, December 6, 2025, as a fast-moving system delivered heavy snow and strong winds from the northern Rockies into the Upper Midwest.
Snow showers spread across Montana and the Dakotas in the morning, then shifted through the afternoon toward Iowa and Minnesota as the storm tracked east.
By Saturday night, a burst of snow and a wintry mix was forecast to sweep into Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. That quick round was expected to affect the Chicago area through the overnight hours, creating slick conditions into early Sunday.
The system maintains a steady pace, which limits extreme totals in lower elevations but still supports hazardous travel where snow bands line up with strong gusts.
Storm track and timing
On Saturday morning, the core of the snow shield extended from the northern Plains into the Rockies, with lighter showers rotating on the system’s western flank. As the day progressed, the deformation zone organized over the Upper Midwest, sending steadier snow into Iowa and Minnesota by late day. Embedded bands enhanced rates enough for rapid accumulations on untreated roads.
The storm’s southern edge will spin a mix of sleet and wet snow into parts of Missouri and downstate Illinois, briefly reducing visibility Saturday night.
By early Sunday, December 7, the center lifts toward the Great Lakes, pushing the main snow axis into Wisconsin and Michigan while lighter snows linger over Illinois and northern Indiana.
Midwest impacts and travel
Travel impacts hinge on timing and wind. Forecasters expect 2 to 5 inches across a swath from the Dakotas to the Lake Michigan shoreline, including the Chicago metro.
Localized higher totals are possible under persistent bands, especially north and west of the city. In Iowa, forecast guidance supports 6 to 8 inches, enough to disrupt road and some air travel during peak banding Saturday night into early Sunday.
Residents in Chicago bundled up on Saturday morning as flakes accumulated along sidewalks and side streets. “This is early for us to have this much snow and these temperatures, so we’re kind of bracing ourselves for a rough one this year,” said Catherine Karwowski. Katie Jones, who recently moved from Texas, said, “Just got the big coat, arrived today.” Visiting from Florida, Brielle Trostley added that seeing “everything covered in white” was new and exciting, even as wind chills bit through layers.
Cold outbreak and temperatures
Behind the front, a Canadian air mass settles across a broad area. Highs on Saturday ran 5 to 20 degrees below average in the Rockies, the Plains, the Northeast and parts of the Southeast. Daytime readings ranged from single digits in the northern Plains to the 20s, 30s and 40s across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast.
Saturday night lows dipped below zero in parts of the Dakotas and northern Minnesota, with teens and 20s common in the Midwest, Appalachians and interior Northeast. Despite the chill, forecasters did not anticipate widespread record lows for Saturday.
On Sunday, December 7, the cold plugs in across the central United States. The Plains, especially Minnesota, the Dakotas and Iowa, will see highs 10 to 25 degrees below seasonal averages, keeping many locations locked in the single digits and teens. Wind will enhance the cold, producing subzero wind chills that challenge anyone working or recreating outdoors for extended periods.
