Winter Storm Warnings: 80 mph Damaging Winds & 12 Inches of Snow Emerge for Easter Weekend

Easter is on Sunday, April 5, and even though the holiday is about the resurrection and rebirth, for millions of Americans, it's shaping up to be about cold weather.

Following unseasonably warm and summer-like weather in areas of the Midwest this week, temperatures have been plummeting, and now, a winter storm is heading to the Great Lakes and into Canada going into the holiday weekend. Specifically, residents in the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Idaho are being told to prepare for snow and ice over the weekend, but even beyond that, much of the country is projected to have cold weather over the Easter holiday.

Expect Winter Storm Warnings, Strong Winds and Up to 1 Foot of Snow in Areas of the U.S.

If you're traveling this weekend, note that areas from Montana to Michigan are in line for a strong storm system. "As this initial storm advances through the Great Lakes and into Canada into late week, road closures and travel delays can occur," the weather experts at AccuWeather said in a statement provided to Men's Journal.

Ice is also a possibility, which could result in power outages across the country. "Ice accumulation of one-quarter inch or more is possible from eastern Minnesota to northern Maine, including northern Michigan, an amount that can cause extensive tree damage and widespread power outages as ice builds on trees and power lines," AccuWeather adds.

Their meteorologists continue, stating that over the weekend, "a second storm will organize across the Plains and track along a similar path into this weekend." This storm system will bring "snow, ice and widespread rain and thunderstorms," with the heaviest snow is expected to hit northern North Dakota to northeast Minnesota, bringing up to 12 inches. As for the ice, most of that is expected in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, making travel hazardous.

Warmer Areas of the Country Face Tornado Danger and 80 mph Winds

Even warmer areas of the country don't have it easy this Easter holiday. On Thursday, April 2, areas of Iowa, Illinois and Michigan were under tornado watches and warnings, with areas bracing for 80 mph winds.

Throughout the weekend, also expect thunderstorms across the country. "Severe thunderstorms are forecast in parts of the Plains and Midwest through Saturday," the Weather Channel notes, "continuing an active stretch since early March into the typically dangerous month of April."

They add that Friday, April 3, "could be a more widespread threat of numerous severe thunderstorms, both as discrete supercells and also as lines of storms." The largest possibility for tornadoes, according to their research, will arrive Friday evening in areas of Des Moines, Iowa, and Kirksville, Missouri.