More than 40 million Americans have been placed under an alert ahead of a huge winter storm which is set to barrel across the country and dump up to two feet of snow in some parts.

Treacherous conditions are forecast through Monday, with meteorologists warning of the potential of a 'bomb cyclone' as a cold arctic front clashes with warmer air.

Blizzard warnings are in effect from North Dakota down to southern Minnesota and Iowa, with three to eight inches of snow and gusts up to 45mph expected. 

'We are anticipating some pretty big snows over the next 24 hours, especially across east central Minnesota to northern Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,' NWS Lead Forecaster Bob Oravec told NPR on Sunday. 

The conditions are likely to create a whiteout and near-zero visibility in the affected areas sparking fears of further travel chaos.

Travel disruptions are expected to continue into tomorrow at least as the new storm front makes its way east. 

As of early Sunday afternoon, there were 268 delays and 66 cancellations in and out of Minneapolis St Paul International Airport, where an airport weather warning was put into effect. 

At Detroit Metro Airport, there have been fewer cancellations and delays, at 25 and 150 respectively, but those numbers are likely to increase by Sunday night as the storm makes it to the city. 

Much of the Northeast is still feeling the impact of a winter storm that hit just after Christmas and blanketed parts of New England with almost a foot of snow. 

Forecasters warned that a 'bomb cyclone' could develop as the residual cold front slams into warmer air. The phenomenon, also known as bombogenesis, is caused when an area of low pressure emerges quickly, bringing harsh weather. 

Winter Weather Advisories for freezing rain are in effect from Scranton, Pennsylvania, as far north as Burlington, Vermont, and as far east as Portland, Maine. 

Up to 1.5 inches of rainfall is expected in western New York in Buffalo and Jamestown, where a flood watch has been issued. 

It comes after much of the western part of the country remained on high alert for more floods and landslides following historic rainfall across California.

Snowfall in Fargo, North Dakota, already began early on Sunday. 

Heavy snow was forecast to hit Minneapolis by noon and is expected to make it to eastern Wisconsin by the afternoon, at which point heavy rain is also expected in Detroit and southern Michigan.

Low visibility in Minneapolis and nearby parts of I-45 and I-90 are expected by early Sunday evening. 

Heavy rain and gusty winds are also expected to reach Buffalo, New York, by the evening.

Snowy and windy conditions in Michigan are forecast to remain until about 7am Monday, after which warmer air moving across the Northeast is expected to turn the snowfall to rain. 

Higher elevation areas of New England, as well as most of Maine, are set to be hit hardest by snowfall in the Northeast.

The worst of the storm should clear up by Monday night, but lake-effect snow is expected across the Eastern Great Lakes and the interior Northeast through Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday. 

The incoming winter storm comes just days after another storm swept through the Northeast, dumping snow from north-central New Jersey through New York City and into southern Connecticut.

New York City received four inches of snow, about half of what was predicted. Other parts of the state received six to 10 inches of snow. 

According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, at least 1,500 flights in New York City were cancelled on Friday, and an additional 9,000 domestic US flights were cancelled or delayed on Saturday, with many in the New York area. 

The storm prompted Acting New Jersey Governor Tahesha Way to declare a state emergency across the state. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for more than half of the state.

The flight cancellations caused significant disruption during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.