Cold fronts moving in from the north on Thursday made for the first winter blast across the Midwest and Northeast, with parts of Connecticut seeing their first snow since October and snow-starved Chicago expected to get hit later in the day.
"This is a pretty potent storm and covers a wide area," TODAY's weather and feature anchor Al Roker warned.
Up to 3 inches fell overnight in Connecticut, the first since an early October snowstorm, NBC Connecticut reported.
© Seth Perlman/APSpringfield, Illinois, on Thursday saw its first significant snow in nearly 11 months.
Kansas City, Mo., also saw about an inch of snow overnight as a system moved into the Midwest.
The Weather Channel said winter was making "a roaring comeback" across the country after weeks of mild weather.
Up to 8 inches of snow was forecast for Chicago, and even more for neighboring northwest Indiana, NBC Chicago reported.
New England should see 6-9 inches in many areas, and isolated areas could get a foot, Roker forecast.
Parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts saw slushy snow early Thursday, making for a messy commute.
Areas as far south as Nashville, Tenn., could also see a bit of snow Thursday.
