ARLINGTON, Va. − Two powerful weather systems were careening across the nation Tuesday, threatening to dump up to a foot of snow in some areas while snarling traffic, clogging roadways, shuttering schools and shutting down government offices.

Another winter storm is unleashing its fury across the central U.S., bringing heavy snow and ice to portions of the Plains and Midwest, forcing officials to close state offices and schools and prompting warnings to delay travel if possible.

Some in the Chicago area were waking up Tuesday morning to light flurries as a weak cold front passed through parts of Northeast Illinois, with a dusting or a coating of snow possible on area roadways,