Travel-snarling blizzard to unfold across Plains, Midwest this week

Predominant weather for Monday 10 p.m. EST. Image courtesy National Weather Service
Wintry scenes were underway on both coasts on Sunday, with feet of snow for the mountains in the West. According to AccuWeather forecasters, the uptick in winter weather is only just getting underway, with over a foot of snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions expected for many in the northern Plains to start this week. Later in the week, the storm will shift east yet again, potentially dumping substantial amounts of snow in portions of the Midwest. The source of this future snow is currently moving onshore in the Pacific states, bringing heavy rain to coastal California and heavy snow for many inland regions of the Intermountain West. Following a typical storm track, this will shift eastward into the Plains late Monday and into Tuesday, according to forecasters. Advertisement
“A potent area of low pressure is set to form over Colorado and Kansas Monday. This will pull moist air northward from the Gulf of Mexico, combining it with bitterly cold air from the polar regions in Canada. With the two put together, a major snowstorm is in the cards from Colorado to Minnesota into midweek,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Thomas Geiger explained.
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The same storm will also create a severe weather threat across the southern U.S. through midweek.
At the storm’s onset, temperatures in some areas may seem too high to support large quantities of snow. In cities such as Fargo, N.D., and Pierre, S.D., temperatures are likely to reach the mid-30s on Monday, which is typically too high for rapid snow accumulation. However, this strong storm will be able to easily pull in colder air, sending temperatures falling well below freezing. By Tuesday, heavy snow will be getting underway in these locations.
Late Tuesday through Wednesday morning is likely to bring the worst of the storm, with snowfall rates as high as several inches per hour in the most impacted spots.
The strengthening storm will also produce very strong winds, with over 60 mph gusts in some spots. The high winds and heavy snow are likely to combine to create blizzard conditions, officially defined as a snowstorm with winds of 35 mph or greater and visibility of under a quarter mile for three consecutive hours.
Snow will continue to expand eastward as the storm strengthens Tuesday night and Wednesday, allowing flakes to fly across Minnesota and Wisconsin before sunrise Wednesday morning. In these areas, warm air ahead of the storm may be a little more stubborn, leading to not only snow but any icy mix for a time.
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“Across much of central and southern Minnesota, a heavy glaze of ice may be more impactful than the snow,” Geiger said, noting that a 1-th of an inch of ice can be more hazardous than several inches of snow.
Farther north, however, snow will fall quickly and heavily, potentially totaling over 6 inches for cities such as Duluth, Minn., Rhinelander, Wis., and Marquette, Mich. Lake enhancement may also play a role in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the Arrowhead region in Minnesota, acting to increase the intensity of snowfall in localized spots.
Snow totals will vary greatly depending on location, however many spots are set to receive over a foot of snow, perhaps closer to 2 feet in the hardest hit places. Pierre and Rapid City, S.D., as well as Bismarck and Jamestown, N.D., may have some of the region’s highest totals.
Travel is likely to turn difficult or impossible during the worst of the storm, and residents will want to find a place to ride it out by Monday evening.
“In addition to the high snow totals being impactful, this storm will last for several days, likely not letting up until Thursday or Friday,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Lauren Hyde said, noting that it could take an unusually long time for travel conditions to improve. Major roadways such as interstates 90 and 94 will likely close, as crews will be unable to keep up with such a large volume of snow.
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Later in the week, eyes may turn to the Northeast, where the final chapter of this massive storm may occur. While details are still to come, heavy snow and ice may be on the way for some as winter’s grip takes hold across the country.