Major winter storm moves from Midwest to East Coast to start week

Over 100 million Americans are under winter weather alerts on Sunday.

Over 100 million Americans were under winter weather alerts Sunday from Minnesota to Maine as a major winter storm continues to track eastward.

Heavy snow blanketed the Great Lakes and Midwest region Sunday morning as moderate to heavy rain fell across the Ohio Valley into the Southeast.

Overnight in Chicago, there were reports of snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour and quarter-mile visibility.

About half a foot of snow is currently being reported across parts of southwest Virginia and into southern West Virginia, while parts of northeastern Illinois and southeast Wisconsin are reporting more than 10 inches so far.

Snow continued to linger from Chicago to Ohio Sunday afternoon and areas including Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia have started to see light snow.

Snow will begin to spread near New York City Sunday evening from south to north, beginning as a light flurry.

Between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., heavier snow will be accompanied by gusty winds, deteriorating road conditions with low visibility.

The snow will then continue along the I-95 corridor throughout the day on Monday with the heaviest snow falling during the afternoon hours.

The worst of the storm will wrap by Monday evening, when a period of mixing may transition to a cold rain for coastal areas. Any freezing rain or sleet will make travel hazardous as hard surfaces will become icy.

The heaviest snowfall totals of a foot or more will remain west of the coast and into higher elevations and New York and Philadelphia have a good chance of seeing 6 to 12 inches of snow with Washington, D.C. and Boston looking at totals in the 3 to 6 inch range.

Elsewhere, a series of systems will move across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California over the next few days bringing heavy rain.

There is a risk for flash flooding across southwest Oregon and Northern California where they could see as much as 5 inches of rain.

Additional snowfall of 1 to 2 feet is expected along the Cascade mountain range through Monday evening with an avalanche warning having been issued for the region from Lake Chelan southward to I-90 through 6 p.m. on Sunday.