Blizzard, Cold Continue to Grip the Northern Plains
A blizzard being unleashed by a record and monstrous storm will keep travel treacherous across the northern Plains today.
The snow will continue to fall across eastern Montana, the Dakotas and Minnesota into tonight. Winter is also making an early return over neighboring parts of Canada.
After daybreak, up to a few fresh inches of snow will fall into tonight. Harvey, N.D., had already received 8.0 inches of snow at 5 a.m. CDT this morning.
Worsening the situation is the fierce winds that will gust between 40 and 65 mph at times. Those winds threaten to whip the snow around at times, dropping visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile.
The danger also exists for the winds to down power lines. AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski warned on Tuesday that some residents may then be forced to shiver for potentially several hours.
Residents and motorists can expect the worst conditions during the first half of today. It is during this time when the heaviest snow will fall and stick to roadways.
Temperatures creeping above freezing this afternoon will cause roadways to become more wet than snow-covered.
Tonight, the danger of slick spots will return to northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Ontario as temperatures crash back below the freezing mark and a bit of snow persists.
One key ingredient to today's snowfall is the frigid air that is gripping the northern Plains. Temperatures today will be held to the 30s from Sidney, Mont., to Fargo, N.D., to St. Cloud, Minn.
AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures will struggle to climb out of the teens within this zone.
The snow will end across the northern Plains by Thursday, but the chill will remain.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 100° | Wink, TX |
| Low | 29° | Mullan Pass, ID |
| Precip | 1.17" | Chapel Hill, NC |
WeatherWhys®
People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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