A winter storm that raked the Great Lakes states was headed for the Northeast, which braced for its third straight weekend of significant snow.

The storm was expected to pelt New England's coastal areas from northern Connecticut to southern Maine with a mix of snow and rain late on Friday, said National Weather Service meteorologist John Foley. Snow was predicted for Saturday, with up to a foot possible in central Massachusetts, he told Reuters.

The Weather Channel forecast that southern parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and northern and central Massachusetts could see snowfall of 6 inches or more over the weekend. Between 2 to 5 inches of snow may fall in Boston, and the storm will likely dump rains from New York City to Philadelphia, it said.

PhotoBlog: Winter whiteout slams central US

Crews in Massachusetts, which has already exhausted its $45 million storm budget, readied piles of salt and sand and thousands of pieces of equipment, NBC affiliate WHDH in Boston reported.

The storm made a mess of things Friday in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

In Minnesota alone, the State Patrol said there were 124 crashes during the morning commute, killing one driver and injuring 23, NBC affiliate KARE in Minneapolis reported.

Ice complicated travel in Ohio. In Cleveland, a United Airlines 737 skidded off the runway into grass and snow after landing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There were no reported injuries, and the passengers were taken by bus to the terminal.

Full coverage from weather.com

O’Hare airport in Chicago reported delays of an hour and a half, and Cincinnati reported more than 45 minutes. The airport in Kansas City, shut down earlier this week in heavy snow, reopened, but most morning flights were delayed. A handful of flights remained cancelled or delayed Friday evening.

In Cincinnati, a semi lost control on an icy overpass, leaving one wheel dangling over the edge. No one was hurt, but part of Interstate 71 was closed for a time, and the truck was leaking fuel, NBC affiliate WLWT in Cincinnati reported.

A day earlier, it was the Plains turn. A United regional jet from Denver got stuck in the snow after landing at the airport in Wichita, Kan. Workers tried to clear a path so that buses could collect the passengers, but the tarmac was too slick, and the plane was stuck for about two hours.

Passengers said that flight attendants passed out cookies and that passengers and crew stayed upbeat.

"By far the most entertaining delay I've ever had in my life," passenger Joshua Locke said. "This has just been laughable to me."

Reuters contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Fri Feb 22, 2013 9:32 AM EST

Carrie Snyder / The Forum via AP

In this photo from Sunday, pedestrians cross snow-covered Main Avenue in downtown Fargo, N.D.

As the Northeast returned Monday to more seasonable conditions after digging out from a major winter storm, snowy weather that clobbered the Upper Midwest made travel nearly impossible, according to local reports.

Blizzard warnings posted by the National Weather Service continued into Monday morning in areas of South Dakota and North Dakota that already saw record-breaking snowfall over the weekend. It prompted officials to keep closed more than 800 miles of interstate highway, Weather.com reported.

Gusty winds around 30 to 40 mph accompanied the snowfall and reduced visibility, resulting in white-out conditions in some areas, National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Adams said.

More coverage from The Weather Channel

Additionally, 12 to 18 inches of snow and rain combined to create slushy, slick roads, spelling trouble for drivers, according to Greg Fuller, South Dakota Department of Transportation director of operations.

"Vehicles have been getting stuck in the snow, and drivers have been going off the road," Fuller told the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Fuller added that because the snow fell faster than workers could clear streets, he anticipated that roads would remain closed for a significant amount of time.

Carrie Snyder / The Forum via AP

In this photo from Sunday, Ryan Luken clears a sidewalk in north Fargo, N.D.

In Fargo, N.D., more than a foot of heavy, wet snow hampered efforts to open up roads and plows were unable to bust through the cover in some areas, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reported.

Meanwhile in Chicago, the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory until 4 p.m. local time, due to gusts between 30 and 50 mph.

The weather service warned that such winds could make driving difficult and cause some property damage, NBCChicago.com reported.

The area could also see some occasional light snow showers or flurries with some minor accumulation possible.

The Midwest’s record-breaking winter heat wave is starting to cool off, with temperatures expected to dip into the teens Thursday, capping a week of weather whiplash.

Temperatures in Chicago surged to the mid-60s Tuesday, nearly breaking the city’s all-time record for January. But then temperatures plummeted almost 30 degrees Wednesday, and weather forecasters expect a deeper drop into the mid-teens Thursday.

The frigid cold will be a rude awakening for Chicagoans who enjoyed Tuesday’s balmy climes.

“I’ve never skated when it’s 60 degrees out before, so this is a new one for me,” Kevin Price told the Chicago Tribune, dressed for spring-like weather in a T-shirt and jeans.

Tuesday's mid-afternoon high of 63 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport came close to January’s all-time record, 67 degrees, hit in 1950. But the freak heat beat a 99-year record for Jan. 29.

Meanwhile, temps in Washington, D.C. also rose to unseasonable heights, hitting the mid-70s, giving the nation’s capital a welcome reprieve from days of icy chill.

But in the Midwest and parts of the east, sunny conditions have dramatically dimmed. Green Bay, Wisconsin, swung from the 50s to six inches of snow Wednesday.

Related story: Tornado rips through Georgia city

A winter storm that socked the Midwest last week moved across the Northeast on Monday, bringing light snow, ice and rain to the region, forecasters said. 

The wintry mix hit from eastern Pennsylvania through southern New England, The Weather Channel reported. Major accumulations of snow were not anticipated.

Snowfall of up to 3 inches is possible from central and northern New York through central and northern New England.

The weather will change to sleet and freezing rain in southern New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey, and roads could be slick.

Morning sleet and freezing rain forecast to become afternoon rain in western Virginia, central and southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

Snow falls lightly in Manhattan, N.Y., on Monday, January 28, 2013. Temperatures near freezing are making it tricky for commuters and pedestrians.

The mixture of freezing rain and sleet in the Northeast follows a weekend of disruption in the Midwest, with many flights in and out of Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis being grounded by icy runways on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Hundreds of churches across Iowa cancelled Sunday services as sidewalks were turned to sheets of ice by the storm that covered the region, Reuters said.

Meanwhile, a storm bringing rain to the southwest Monday was expected to move into the southern Plains and southern half of the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.

Damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes are possible from eastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas to central and southern Illinois, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, northwest Mississippi and northern Louisiana Tuesday.

In the northern Plains, as many as 4 to 6 inches of precipitation was expected from eastern North Dakota to northern Minnesota Monday afternoon through Tuesday.

Elsewhere, heavy mountain snows and strong winds were forecast in mountain areas across the West that will result in significant drifting snow, which has prompted an avalanche watch for a portion of the Colorado Rockies.   

A storm encased the Midwest in glistening ice on Sunday, forcing officials to cancel flights and closing roadways and threatening to tangle the start of the work week as freezing rains headed east. 

Hundreds of churches across Iowa called off Sunday services as sidewalks were turned to sheets of ice by the storm that meteorologists said had covered the Midwest in about a half-inch of ice by midday. 

Flights in and out of Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis were grounded on icy runways. 

The National Weather Service issued a freezing rain advisory for Chicago and the surrounding area for Sunday until 9 p.m. local time, when temperatures were expected to warm up enough to make it just rain. Until then, the weather service warned of dangerous conditions for driving and even walking. 

"Pockets of sleet, freezing rain and freezing drizzle are possible farther east late tonight into Monday morning from Buffalo, New York, to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Roanoke, Virginia," meteorologist Brian Edwards said on Accuweather.com. 

Slick roadways were reported from South Sioux City, Nebraska, to Iowa, where numerous crashes were reported, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. In Franklin County, Iowa, Interstate 35 was blocked by tractor trailers struggling to get a grip on treacherous surfaces. 

"Instant icing of windshields and roadway surfaces (as well as driveways, sidewalks and parking lots) can be expected in the areas with freezing temperatures," the Iowa DOT said. 

In Missouri, ramps to connecting Interstate 270, which circles the St. Louis area, to Interstate 70 were closed early Sunday morning because of ice, but were later reopened, said Marie Elliott, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Transportation. 

--Additional reporting by Reuters' Tim Bross in Missouri, Kay Henderson in Iowa and David Hendee in Nebraska; Editing by Edith Honan and Bill Trott. 

Updated at 3:30 p.m. ET: Winter storm warnings were issued Saturday for parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania in the East and Colorado and New Mexico in the West.

The National Weather Service warned of snow-covered roads with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected to fall in affected areas in the East and locally higher amounts.

In some mountainous areas of Colorado, the NWS said it expected heavy, blowing snow with total accumulations of 10 to 20 inches.

Read more at weather.com

Some 8 to 12 inches of snow were expected to hit the northern mountains of New Mexico, the weather service said.

The Weather Channel said the last week's cold air invasion set the stage for this latest winter storm: "As an upper disturbance ejects out of the southwestern states, it will run into southerly winds on the backside of a high-pressure system centered over the Eastern Seaboard." 

Winter storm watches were also issued for parts of Illinois, including Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

The weather service forecasts freezing rain will develop in that area, from central Iowa to southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and southern Michigan on Saturday night or Sunday. Travel conditions could be hazardous this weekend, NWS warned.

“Further north into Minnesota and Wisconsin, a couple inches of snow are possible before changing over to freezing rain and then rain,” said meteorologist Michael Palmer of The Weather Channel. Palmer said rain, sleet and snow could also hit the Plains and Midwest over the weekend.

Palmer warned there was the potential for a up to 0.5 inch of ice accumulation for Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis and Chicago before rain moved in.

“The icy mixture will affect Detroit, Pittsburgh and Buffalo going into Monday,” he said.

“The band of moisture will continue to shift northeastward through the Great Lakes Sunday night and Monday with a variety of wintry weather,” he added. “Rain breaks out in Oklahoma and Kansas late Saturday and spreads northward into the colder surface air Sunday for an icy mixture” for parts of Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois.

Palmer warned of “significant travel issues with very slick roadways” and also said some affected areas could see power outages Saturday night through Sunday.

However, he said “a surge of warmer air" would arrive in the Plains and Midwest by late Monday with most areas seeing the ice and snow melt.

NBC staff writer Isolde Raftery contributed to this report.

Matt Rourke / AP

A runner crosses a street during a winter snow storm, Friday, in Philadelphia.

Capping off a brutal week of frigid conditions and subzero wind chills, residents across much of the country on Friday were still experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in years — with southern states getting a rare icy blast.

Peak temperatures from the Northeast to the Midwest were slated to range from single digits to the 30s, and forecasters said freezing air temperatures and the chance of precipitation could mean snow in both regions.

"This is actually quite an impressive mass of cold air," Richard Castro, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service told NBCChicago.com.

By mid-afternoon on Friday, Pennsylvania was feeling the first of a "widespread storm, impacting the entire state," said state's transportation department spokesman Steve Chizmar.

Snow was falling over most of the state, and forecasters predicted a total of 1 to 4 inches through Saturday morning, while transportation department crews stayed busy plowing and salting the roads.

Hundreds of schools in the state dismissed classes early Friday.

Only a light dusting, if any accumulation, was expected in New York City, where real-feel temperatures were below zero Friday morning, NBCNewYork.com reported.

Slideshow: Deep Freeze

Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty Images

A man photographs the fountain at Bryant Park in New York on Friday as the arctic air has turned the fountain into an ice sculpture.

Launch slideshow

In the Midwest, one of the first snowfalls of the season in Chicago created a few slick spots on the roads Friday morning, causing at least a dozen accidents, including an eight-vehicle crash, NBCChicago.com reported. Only minor injuries had been reported.

Though little snow accumulated it was still record breaking. The 1.1 inches recorded Friday morning broke the city’s 335-day stretch of no more than an inch of snow accumulation in one day.

The National Weather Service had winter weather advisories in effect for the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to southern New Jersey, and issued blizzard warnings for northern Georgia.

Parts of Kentucky were reporting as much as half inch of ice accumulation, Weather.com reported. Slick roads in the southeast of the state were making driving hazardous, causing more than 100 accidents in Pulaski County alone, it said.

Tennessee was also slick with ice in the east, and reported some power outages, while freezing rain caused a number of school systems in central and southern Kentucky to cancel classes, according to WLEX-TV.

Because cold temperatures can be dangerous, officials advised residents to heed cold-weather tips, including wearing gloves, wearing a mouth covering to protect the lungs from bitter cold air, layering loose-fitting, warm clothing and wearing a hat to retain body heat.

Animal advocates also urged pet owners to only take elderly dogs, puppies and short-haired dogs outside when it is absolutely necessary. If a dog whines frequently or keeps lifting its paws up while on a walk, it may need boots. Cat owners should keep their animals inside at all times in such bitter cold, NBCChicago.com reported.

The forecast for next week called for some relief from the arctic temperatures of late, beginning with sunny skies and temperatures hitting the mid-40s to 50s by the middle of the week. 

Kari Huus, NBC Staff Writer, contributed to this report.

The first major wintry storm of the season hammered the Midwest on Thursday, causing a pileup in blizzard conditions that killed three people, dumping a foot of snow in some areas and creating travel problems during one of the busiest periods of the year. Those travel woes could extend into the Northeast, with high winds and rain expected there Friday.

Nearly 600 flights were canceled at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Thursday, according to FlightStats, and an additional 700 were grounded at Kansas City International, Midway (Chicago), Detroit Metropolitan, Minneapolis-St. Paul International and other Midwest airports.

Southwest Airlines canceled all flights at Midway starting at 4:30 p.m. local time, NBCChicago.com reported.

Full coverage of the storm at The Weather Channel

The storm system also spawned a tornado that flipped vehicles in Mobile, Ala., and cut power to 400,000 homes and businesses. Some 130,000 were still without power Thursday afternoon. 

At least six deaths were tied to the snowstorms: In Iowa, three people died Thursday in a pileup involving more than 30 vehicles on Interstate 35, NBC affiliate WHO-TV reported; in Wisconsin, slick road conditions led to two fatalities; and in Utah, a woman who tried to walk for help after her car became stuck in snow was found dead, officials said late Wednesday. Search and rescue crews on snowmobiles found her buried in the snow just a few miles from her car.

Blizzard or winter storm warnings were issued for 16 states on Thursday, Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Seidel told TODAY.

Northeast cities can expect rain and high winds from the system Friday morning, said NBC meteorologist Bill Karins. Most of the snow should move into Canada Friday night.

A foot of snow fell on Des Moines, Iowa, by early Thursday and residents across the state were urged to stay off the roads.

"Because of the wind, travel is pretty treacherous, especially into Iowa, as the storm moves east," National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Dergan said.

The snow cover will drag temperatures much lower in Iowa and Nebraska, he added. "We're talking single digits. We may even see some sub-zero temperatures in Nebraska. This cold weather will stick around for several days, maybe until the day after Christmas. So we're definitely going to have a white Christmas."

Iowa State Police

Some of the vehicles involved in a pileup on Interstate 35 in Iowa are seen Thursday.

Blowing snow led to school closures in parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. All state government offices also closed in Iowa. Storms in those four states left around 130,000 homes without power. 

"Thundersnow" was reported in Iowa Wednesday night, as thunder and lightning accompanied the storm as it trekked across the state. 

Dietra Tate / NBC 15

This vehicle at a car dealership was flipped over by a storm in Mobile, Ala., on Thursday, Dec. 20.

In Alabama, a tornado peeled the roofs off homes and buildings and toppled vehicles in Mobile, but caused no serious injuries, Al.com reported. Arkansas also saw damage from high winds.

The storm system earlier delivered heavy snow and strong winds to parts of the West, where trucks tangled on icy roads on the Oregon and California state line.

Snowstorm prompts state of emergency in Wisconsin

In West Texas, winds from the same system kicked up a dust storm Wednesday that caused accidents along Interstate 27, resulting in one death and more than a dozen injuries, NBC affiliate KCBD reported.

At Dallas-Fort Worth airport, American Airlines said it canceled about 120 flights Wednesday night due to the storm. 

In Nebraska, snow blowing sideways on Wednesday night forced the closure of a 146-mile stretch of Interstate 80, a major east-west highway. 

In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. Schools were canceled in advance of heavy snowfall and the University of Wisconsin-Madison postponed Thursday’s final exams.

Before the storm, several Midwest cities had broken records for the number of consecutive days without measurable snow.

In Chicago, people made a run on snow shovels and salt ahead of what should be the first snow to hit the city in 290 days (the record is 296). 

The storm has package delivery companies nervously checking the weather forecast during this busy time of year. "We’re closely monitoring the storm," FedEx spokesman Scott Fiedler told NBC News. "We have a team of 15 meteorologists who track the weather around the world every day."

Related: UPS, FedEx weather experts work on timely deliveries
Related: Chicago braces for 'thundersnow'
Related: Bad in US? Try Russia, where some parts as low as 50 below
Related: Slideshow of wintry scenes around the world

Along the East Coast, the I-95 corridor isn't expected to see much, if any, snow.

"Snow may make it as close to New York City as Western Connecticut but right now, other than a few flurries Friday night, I think New York City through Boston will be mostly snow-free," Tom Niziol, the winter weather expert at The Weather Channel, told NBC News.

"Areas to the southeast of the Great Lakes, from Cleveland through Syracuse will get heavier snowfall," he added. "Higher elevations from the Adirondacks through the western slopes of the Central Appalachians will also get snow."

NBC News' Isolde Raftery and A. Pawlowski, as well as The Associated Press and Reuters, contributed to this report.

More content from NBCNews.com:

• Cardinal: Teacher who gave her life is 'like Jesus'
• Holiday travel alert: Storms deliver foot of snow in central US, tornado in Alabama
• 'You feel helpless': First responders rushed to school after shooting, only to wait
• Mayan end-of-world rumors prompt Michigan officials to close 33 schools
• Reported sex assaults leap 23 percent at US military academies
• Video: Should school kids carry bulletproof backpacks?

Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Parts of South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota were digging out Monday morning as the season’s worst winter storm passed through the region.

The wintry storm unleashed high winds, frigid air and heavy snowfall across the Upper Midwest on Sunday, with parts of Minnesota getting more than a foot of snow, Weather.com reported.  Bone-chilling winter temperatures were forecast to spread into much of the country in the early part of the week.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported more than 600 crashes by Monday morning, and at least 1,140 spinouts, according to Lt. Eric Roeske, and driving conditions remained hazardous. One person was killed in a crash involving a semi near Red Wing and injuries were reported in 63 other accidents, the patrol said.

Conditions were so dangerous that the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed some of the state’s highways Sunday night due to the blizzard conditions, KARE11.com, a local NBC affiliate, reported.

"That wind and snow is making a combination that is a lethal one," said meteorologist Nick Walker on Weather.com.

The heaviest snowfall was reported in Sacred Heart, Minn., with more than 17.3 inches.  The seven inches of snow that fell on the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sunday was already more than on any day last season, Weather.com reported.  More than 100 flights in and out of the airport were canceled Sunday.

A record daily snowfall of 10.2 inches was set at Twin Cities, Minn., on Sunday. The old daily record of 7.4 inches was set in 1961.

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

Snow falls over Lambeau Field as fans gather ahead of a game on Sunday in Green Bay, Wis.

At Minneapolis’s Metrodome, officials cranked up the heat to make sure that the snow didn't bring down its inflatable roof. Nearly two years ago, a storm that dumped 17 inches of snow in 24 hours tore holes in the dome, and forced the Vikings football team to play the final two games of the season elsewhere. The repair project cost $22.7 million.

Single-digit and even below-freezing temperatures were gripping the region Monday morning. The cold front is set to spread as far south as Houston, Little Rock, Ark. and Memphis, Tenn., which were likely to see temperatures drop into the 40s and 50s.

Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

Forecasters expect the extreme winter weather to end toward the middle of the week, with the mercury returning to more normal December averages. Chicago meanwhile, has recently enjoyed warmer-than-usual weather and was on track to break the record for the longest stretch of snowless days on Monday, NBCChicago.com reported. 

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More content from NBCNews.com:

• Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind
• Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor
• 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central California shootings, chase
• Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments
• On gay marriage, Supreme Court could rule small, or big
• Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash

Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook