Arctic Blast Heading for Northern Rockies and Plains
Jan 15, 2012; 3:00 PM ET
Another blast of arctic air will plunge into the northern Rockies and Plains late this weekend and early next week.
The latest shot of cold air will replace the unseasonably mild temperatures that will surge into the region today and early today.
Temperatures across the Plains have fluctuated like a roller-coaster so far this season, with periods of unseasonable warmth followed by brief shots of very cold air.
However, compared to normal, the air descending from Canada that replaces the unseasonably mild air hasn't been all that cold.
Many locations across the Rockies and Plains have seen temperature departures from normal to well above where they should be this time of year.
For example, so far in January, Billings, Mont., is a mild +9.7 degrees above normal. Rapid City, S.D., is +8.3 degrees above normal, and Great Falls, Mont., is +10.6 degrees above normal.
The push of arctic air scheduled to arrive today and Monday will bring a period of much below-normal temperatures. The forecast high on Monday is 21, and the expected high on Tuesday is a frigid 2 degrees above zero.
Residents are in for a rude awakening as most have been enjoying the stretches of unseasonable warmth.
Old Man Winter will be sure to remind residents that the calendar currently reads January and not March or April.
As the cold air pushes south and east behind a cold front, an area of low pressure could form along the front and bring a period of accumulating snow from the central Plains to the central Great Lakes, including Chicago.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists will continue to monitor the situation. check back often for future updates.
By: Mark Miller, meteorologist
More Weather News
-
What's Next for Beryl?
May 28, 2012; 12:25 PM ET
Beryl, with its drenching downpours and locally severe thunderstorms is expected to turn to the northeast, paralleling the Carolina coast during the middle of the week.
-
Memorial Day Storms Albany to Boston
May 28, 2012; 12:09 PM ET
Locally strong thunderstorms will roll across upstate New York and through part of New England into this evening.
-
"Mothership Cloud" Supercell Tornado In Texas
May 28, 2012; 12:07 PM ET
Storm chasers spotted the storm on May 21.
-
Photos: After-Effects of Tropical Storm Beryl
May 28, 2012; 12:00 PM ET
"Beryl, shmeryl..." No serious damage has been reported.
-
Severe Flooding in Northwestern Ontario
May 28, 2012; 10:49 AM ET
A state of emergency has been declared in the Thunder Bay area after severe flooding struck parts of Ontario's Lake Superior region.
-
Watching the Caribbean in the Wake of Beryl
May 28, 2012; 9:30 AM ET
The same general area of disturbed weather in the Caribbean that seeded Beryl, could attempt yet another tropical system this week.
-
Severe Storms to Slam Chicago, St. Louis, Springfield
May 28, 2012; 9:22 AM ET
Damaging thunderstorms will ignite from Chicago to St. Louis to Springfield later this afternoon and evening.
-
Memorial Day Weather for "Founding" Towns
May 28, 2012; 9:01 AM ET
Officially, Waterloo, N.Y., is the birthplace of Memorial Day, however, many towns in the U.S. claim the honor of being the first.
-
Atlantic Hurricane Forecast: Storms Close to the Coast
May 28, 2012; 7:32 AM ET
AccuWeather's 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecasts 12 named tropical storms, five named hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
-
Beryl's Impacts on the Southeast
May 28, 2012; 5:25 AM ET
As Beryl moves into the Southeast, its impacts will be widespread. However, not all news will be bad.
Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 100° | Smyrna, TN |
| Low | 15° | Sunset Crater, AZ |
| Precip | 3.99" | Wadena, MN |
WeatherWhys®
Hail is much more common during the months of May and June compared to July and August. The main reason is the fact that the freezing level is usually higher during July and August as pockets of cold air in the upper atmosphere are less common as the jet stream weakens and retreats farther north.
This Day In Weather History
Leesburg, Va. (1982)
In Leesburg, a suburb of Washington, D.C., 2.20 inches of rain fell in 15 minutes.
Leesburg, Fla. (1989)
A lightning bolt tore a 4-foot-wide hole in the ceiling of a residential dining room and struck a 9-year-old boy between the shoulder blades. Although injured, the boy survived.
Rough Weather
Comments
Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.