A US winter storm will strengthen quickly, bringing blizzard conditions to the Chicago area and tornado threats to the south.

(CNN) — Another powerful storm will unleash blizzard conditions, strong winds, damaging winds and brutal cold across the eastern United States in what will be a dangerous dose of deja vu for many.

The new storm will once again threaten the same parts of the central and eastern United States that were hit by a major storm earlier this week, amplifying the potential impact for those still recovering.

But there are some key differences in this storm’s forecast compared to last storm, particularly in the Chicago area, which didn’t see significant snow earlier this week but could be hit with blizzard conditions Friday night.

The new storm originated in the Pacific Northwest, which was hit by snowstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Snow and gusty winds moved from the northwest into the Four Corners region Wednesday night. A round of snow will affect the higher elevations of Arizona and New Mexico starting Thursday.

Another powerful storm will bring snow (blue), rain (green) and severe weather (red) to much of the US from Saturday night into Thursday. (Credit: CNN Weather)

The storm will then turn into a big beast (its strengthening will be aided by a big boost of atmospheric energy) when it moves out of the plains on Thursday night, setting the stage for a large impact event across the central and eastern United States.

What can happen?

Thursday night: Snow on the plains, severe risk in the south

The storm will strengthen this Thursday night and begin dumping snow across parts of Kansas and Nebraska across the Midwest, which could be heavy at times. This snow will once again be accompanied by gusty winds that could lead to overcast conditions. Traveling can be dangerous on Thursday night.

At the same time, very cold air will move south from Canada and drop temperatures across much of the north-central United States.

The threat of severe storms will once again affect a significant portion of the South. Parts of Arkansas, eastern Texas and northwestern Louisiana, including Shreveport, are at a high, or Category 3 of 5, level Thursday night, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The primary hazards in those areas are strong tornadoes, large or very large hail and damaging wind gusts.

There is a slight risk of a severe thunderstorm or Level 2 to 5 Thursday night for a broad area from eastern Texas to western Mississippi. The main hazards are tornadoes, strong gusts and large hail.

Friday: Storm threats peak

As the storm moves east on Friday and strengthens, snow will cover more of the Midwest.

The storm’s heaviest snow accumulations are expected to be limited to parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. About a foot of snow is possible in some inland parts of each state away from the relative warmth of the Great Lakes.

There remains some uncertainty about how much snow this storm will bring to Chicago, as totals can vary widely across the metro area. Its proximity to Lake Michigan may mean that air temperatures may not drop enough for significant snowfall in the center. But if the city gets trapped under a particularly heavy snowpack, a lot can get trapped and cause major travel problems.

Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are expected as the storm strengthens this Friday. The combination of snow and strong winds could produce blizzard conditions across the Chicago area, especially Friday night.

Meanwhile, brutally cold air will continue to spread across more of the central and northern United States. Temperatures in Omaha, Nebraska, are unlikely to exceed single digits on Friday, while parts of North Dakota will be lucky if the high reaches zero degrees.

On the storm’s warm southern flank, another significant severe storm will affect much of the Southeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic.

Areas from Alabama to North Carolina are most at risk of damage. The severe thunderstorm risk for the area is 3 out of 5 on Friday with the possibility of wind gusts and a few strong tornadoes.

Rain will spread across much of the Mid-Atlantic and reach parts of the Northeast by Friday night. As rains arrive, flooding concerns will increase from parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey to southern New England.

Rainfall totals are expected to be about the same or slightly less than the last storm: between 25 and 50 mm is likely, but isolated locations could see as much as 76 mm. With the ground soaked from the last storm and the rivers still swollen, flooding could occur more easily.

Saturday: Chances of power outages increase in Northeast

The storm will move across much of the Northeast early Saturday morning, bringing snow and possibly some mixed sleet to the interior Northeast, especially in northern New England.

Along with the winter rains, strong winds will once again hit the northeast and more power outages are likely. Recent storms left thousands without power in the East, and many remained without power Wednesday.

Snow will also continue on the Great Lakes with the possibility of some lake effect snow following the storm Saturday night.

The storm’s most significant impacts will generally move out of the southeast and mid-Atlantic by Saturday morning, but some windy conditions will remain after the storm.

In the central United States, the brutal cold will only get worse over the weekend and into next week. Temperatures will reach dangerous levels, especially in the north-central United States.

CNN’s Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.