Following on the heels of Winter Storm Ajax earlier this week Bella promises to bring the first snows of the season to parts of  the Upper Midwest, Corn Belt, and Great Lakes.

An area from northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota into much of Iowa and northwest Illinois, is already under winter storm warnings that have been issued by local National Weather Service offices. This means a likelihood for at least 6 inches of snow in 12 hours, or 8 inches of snow in 24 hours.

The National Weather Service upgraded a winter storm watch to a warning early Friday ahead of a storm that meteorologists now say could drop up to 11 inches of snow in North Central Illinois.

Flight delays are probable Saturday, possibly even late Friday night, out of Chicago-O’Hare Airport, and are possible out of smaller regional airports, as well.

Earlier this week, according to Weather Underground, one of the most widespread and damaging bouts of high wind to strike the Northwest U.S. in years tore down trees and power lines and knocked vehicles off roadways from Washington to the northern Great Plains from Tuesday into Wednesday.

According to weather.com, at least four deaths were reported, and more than 1 million people in several states have been affected by power outages, in some cases for hours or days.  utility companies are reporting that  more than 100,000 customers still without power as of Thursday afternoon.

71 mph winds were reported in Spokane Washington with a whopping 137 mph wind recorded at Mission Ridge Ski Area in Washington.