Plains, Upper Midwest brace for major winter storm barreling out of Southern California

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Rare snowfall covers High Desert near Joshua tree Heavy snowfall blanketed the High Desert in Pioneertown, California, near Joshua Tree National Park.

A major winter storm system that brought heavy snow in the mountains of Southern California is rolling toward the Plains and Upper Midwest, threatening weekend blizzards and holiday troubles in parts of the nation's midsection.

Heavy snow on Christmas night brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 5 in the mountains north of Los Angeles, forcing authorities to close the freeway. On Thursday, Interstate 15, the major thoroughfare connecting Las Vegas to Southern California, was temporarily closed in the afternoon because of hazardous conditions.

The storm could snarl traffic with heavy rainfall and snow from Southern California to the Four Corners states late Friday. Weather.com warned of possible "significant travel difficulty" through the passes of Southern California and along Interstate 40 in northern Arizona and Interstate 25 north of Albuquerque.

"After bringing a swath of snow from Arizona and New Mexico to Colorado at the end of the week, snow will streak across the central and northern Plains by Saturday," AccuWeather meteorologist Renee Duff said.

The National Weather Service said the storm could dump up to a foot of snow in parts of the southern Rockies.

"These regions will also deal with gusty winds that will cause drifting snow and poor visibilities," the weather service warned.

As the storm system collided with cold air pushing south out of Canada, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska braced for a mix of ice, sleet and snow.

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Heading home after #Christmas? We have your daily look at potential travel #weather concerns. (Spoiler alert: Weekend headaches possible.) https://t.co/EZZVaSrADm pic.twitter.com/1MZXzTkxyT — The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) December 26, 2019

AccuWeather.com said parts of Nebraska, the eastern Dakotas and extreme western Minnesota could face blizzard conditions.

As early as Sunday, the storm system could bring heavy rain, snow and ice to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. Forecasters expect the storm to slam travelers along the I-95 corridor from Boston to Washington. Freezing rain, sleet and snow are likely in northern New England and upstate New York, and downpours are expected closer to Washington.

The timing of the storm's arrival on the East Coast is critical for its impact on holiday traffic, particularly if the heaviest rain holds off until Sunday night.

Some snow showers may linger over the Midwest into Tuesday, AccuWeather.com said, before the storm leaves the region.

Contributing: Kristin Lam, USA TODAY