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when will the storm start

The incoming major winter storm is expected to begin on Friday, January 23, 2026 , with impacts then spreading and intensifying through the weekend across much of the central and eastern United States.

Quick timing overview

  • Initial development: Snow and ice begin to form over the Central and Southern Plains on Friday, Jan. 23 as the storm organizes and strengthens.
  • Friday into Saturday: The system expands, bringing increasing snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the southern Rockies/Plains into parts of the Midwest and Tennessee Valley.
  • Weekend impacts (Sat–Sun): By Saturday and Sunday , the storm’s effects spread into the Southeast, Mid‑Atlantic, and then the Northeast, with many of these areas seeing heavy snow rather than ice.
  • Late weekend into Monday: In New England and parts of the Northeast, snow and strong impacts are likely to persist into Sunday night and Monday (Jan. 25–26).

What “when will it start” means for you

Because the storm covers a huge area, the exact start time depends on your location.

  • In many central and southern Plains locations, wintry precipitation may begin sometime Friday (daytime or evening).
  • Areas in the Tennessee Valley and Southeast are more likely to see impacts later Friday night into Saturday.
  • The Mid‑Atlantic and Northeast (including Boston and southern New England) are currently projected to see snow arriving late Saturday into Sunday , then lasting into Sunday night and Monday.

How to get your local start time

To pin down “when will the storm start” for your exact spot , the best steps are:

  1. Check your country’s official meteorological service (for example, National Weather Service in the U.S.) and enter your town or ZIP/postcode. These pages give hour‑by‑hour timing for when snow/ice begins.
  2. Look at recent local forecast discussions or updates from trusted local TV meteorologists, who often specify “snow starts after midnight,” “by mid‑afternoon,” etc. for your metro area.
  1. Re‑check forecasts at least twice a day ; models are still shifting slightly in terms of onset and intensity.

In short: the storm itself starts Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 , but your personal start time will depend on where you are along its path, ranging from Friday in the Plains to late weekend in parts of the Northeast.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.