Old Man Winter is making up for lost time in the Midwest.

After a mild start to January, severe snowstorms were pummeling a huge part of the country Friday.

For weeks, arctic air has been kept far north by the jet stream. But as folks in the Midwest will tell you, it finally came down south as the first major winter storm roared in with a vengeance.

Across the Midwest, cold winds and blowing, drifting snow were making conditions miserable and roads a slick, icy mess.

**Get the latest forecast for your area from the National Weather Service.

The weather has been blamed for at least two deaths in Iowa.

In Greenfield, Wis., snow led to traffic accidents and brought the Thursday evening commute to a standstill.

Chicago is also under a winter storm warning. The Windy City is bracing for a wind chill near zero and up to six inches of new snow.

"We'll shovel it out, lay down the salt and hope it goes away by Monday," one resident said.

The wintry weather grounded hundreds of flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

In a city that's used to brutal winter weather, this recent storm may have been a wake-up call, considering it's been unseasonably warm in the past few months.

So far this winter, Chicago has seen less than two inches of snow, when normally, by mid-January, more than a foot has blanketed the ground.

"Oh the snow, it's pretty. It hasn't been on the ground for too long to have an effect on me yet," another resident said.

Forecasters say the winter storm is moving from the Midwest through the Great Lakes and is targeting New England.

Residents could see up to a foot of snow starting Friday.

The rest of the U.S. that's not dealing with winter storms will remain quiet and mild as high pressure hovers over the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, and the Plains.

However, expect another chilly morning as overnight lows will drop significantly again as clear skies allow for rapid cooling.