“Travel Turmoil: The Perils of Winter Storm Wreckage”

The initial significant winter storm of 2025 is impacting areas of the U.S. with blizzard-like conditions and icy rain, resulting in perilous travel circumstances.

Representatives from the National Weather Service (NWS) are advising motorists in certain regions to refrain from traveling unless absolutely necessary, after a winter storm has already affected a vast portion of the nation.

A vehicle navigates carefully down a snowy road on Jan. 5, 2025 in Shawnee, Kansas. (Chase Castor/Getty Images / Getty Images)

On Sunday night, the National Weather Service (NWS) office overseeing the Baltimore and Washington D.C. regions announced on X that it is “strongly advised” to postpone travel if it is not essential.

“Conditions will swiftly worsen tonight with untreated & unplowed roads becoming impassable. During the peak snow periods, from midnight until mid-morning Monday, even primary & treated roads will be impassable. It is strongly suggested to delay non-essential travel,” the NWS stated.

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The office predicted that “periods of heavy snowfall” will persist Monday morning with some sleet and freezing rain beginning to mix in.

Another wave of snow is anticipated to strike the area on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the Maryland Transportation Authority informed on Monday morning that if travel is necessary, drivers should ensure they do not speed or overtake any plows or salt trucks. They should also keep their headlights on, according to Maryland Transportation Authority guidelines.

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The NWS office in Pennsylvania forecasted that light to moderate snowfall would continue Monday morning, followed by “another round of steady snow” expected to reach the southern region of the state by Monday evening.

The office cautioned that if individuals must travel, they should allocate additional time to arrive at their destination.

The NWS office in Virginia further warned that the mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will continue to “affect travel across the region, leading to hazardous conditions” particularly across the Piedmont, a plateau area located in the Eastern United States, central Virginia, and the Eastern Shore.

While the NWS office in New York cautioned the area will experience an “extended duration of cold weather,” it is not expected to endure the worst of the storm.

Firefighters from the Louisville Fire Department Quint 9 clear snow in front of their station on Jan. 5, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Luke Sharrett/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The office estimated that light snow will occur in the area on Monday but “less than an inch of accumulation is anticipated, with some areas only experiencing a dusting or no snow whatsoever.”

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The storm initially commenced on the West Coast, where it produced the first tornado of the year in California.

It progressed into the Plains and Midwest over the weekend, leading to blizzard conditions at the Kansas City International Airport. The sleet and freezing rain also resulted in accidents throughout the region from Kansas and Missouri through to the Ohio Valley.

FOX Weather contributed to this report.