500 miles of ice: Dangerous ice storm from the Plains to Midwest

A wintry mess stretches from the Southern Plains into the Midwest Monday morning, with significant freezing rain and ice snarling travel.

The WeatherRadar shows a messy morning across much of the nation's midsection where a plume of moisture is interacting with arctic air. Snow, sleet, and ice stretch across Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri, where the moisture is meeting up with frigid air at the surface.

The plume of moisture will work its way northeast throughout Monday, spreading freezing rain and sleet up into the Midwest and Great Lakes by tonight. A glaze of ice or more will stretch all the way from northern Texas into Michigan, where winter weather advisories are in place. Ice storm warnings are in effect across parts of eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas, and south-central Missouri, where up to half an inch of ice is possible.

Freezing rain has made travel difficult to impossible in cities like Tulsa, Okla., Fayetteville, and Fort Smith, Ark., on Monday morning. The good news is that warmer temperatures and rain will help improve conditions across the Plains and mid-South Monday afternoon.

As the warmer air moves in this afternoon, the ice threat will shift north. Ice and snow will develop across the Midwest and Great Lakes Monday night into Tuesday morning. Anywhere from a glaze of ice to up to four-tenths of an inch will be possible in the Midwest, with up to an inch of snow. Travel trouble is likely in cities like St. Louis, Springfield, Ill., Chicago, South Bend, Ind., and Indianapolis.

The Upper Great Lakes will see mainly snow, with up to four inches in the forecast. Before heading out, check conditions on the WeatherRadar and make sure you have a winter weather emergency kit in your vehicle.