NEW YORK — Two major winter storms are bearing down on the U.S. this week and are expected to bring some of the highest snow totals of the season for cities including Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Winter storm watches and warnings are in effect for both storms from Colorado to Delaware, impacting cities including Chicago; Louisville, Kentucky; Baltimore; and Richmond, Virginia.
The first storm will hit Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning.
By 7 a.m. ET Tuesday, heavy rain is expected from Dallas to Nashville, Tennessee, while snow will be falling from Louisville to Richmond.
The snow will arrive in D.C. by noon on Tuesday and may last for over 12 hours.
Four to 6 inches of snow is possible for the D.C. and Baltimore region, while 1 to 3 inches is possible in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the heavy rain in the South may cause flash flooding.
A flood watch is in effect for portions of Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. Up to half a foot of rain is possible in some spots.
By the time that first storm leaves the East Coast, the second storm will have already started in the Midwest and the Plains.
Heavy snow will hit Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois on Wednesday.
By the afternoon, the heavy snow will spread from Chicago to Detroit. Six inches of snow is possible in the Windy City.
In the East, a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected in Philadelphia, New York City and Boston on Wednesday night. The storm will change to rain overnight.
Both storms combined will result in hefty snow totals in the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic, and potentially flooding rain for a wide swath of the South.