Groundhog Day Blizzard Prognostication
A Groundhog Day Blizzard could shut down the Chicago area under feet of snow, while a bone-chilling arctic blast has Super Bowl fanatics in Dallas shivering.
This major winter storm will peak in intensity Tuesday night into Wednesday, Groundhog's Day.
As Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski explained earlier, millions of people will be affected.
An arctic blast plummeting into the Rockies and Plains over the next couple of days will set the stage for snow to be measured in feet from Columbia, Mo., to Peoria and Chicago, Ill., Tuesday into Wednesday.
Farther south and east on Tuesday, a major ice storm will bring down trees and power lines from St. Louis, Mo., to Indianapolis, Ind., to Columbus, Ohio.
Widespread power outages combined with bitterly cold air in wake of the storm could threaten lives.
The raging blizzard may shut down Kansas City International Airport Tuesday afternoon and Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International airports by Tuesday night.
This potentially historic winter storm will have widespread impact ranging from the Rockies to New England.
Planes grounded across the Midwest will have a ripple effect for travel across the remainder of the country.
As AccuWeather.com News Writer Tiffany Getz explains, Super Bowl fans traveling to Dallas will not escape the storm's effect.
Across the Gulf Coast States, severe thunderstorms will rattle areas from Houston, Texas, to New Orleans, La., on Tuesday. Damaging winds, hail and even isolated tornadoes are possible.
Severve thunderstorms will hit areas from Houston, Texas, to New Orleans, La.
Snow will even spread into the Northeast on Tuesday, but the significant snow will be focused across interior New England through Wednesday.
Enough warm air will work into Washington, D.C. to New York City to bring mainly rain through Wednesday in these highly populated areas.
On Wednesday, groundhogs across the country will make their prognostications for the remainder of the winter, all waking up to a variety of weather.
Chicago area's four-legged prognosticator, Woodstock Willie, will wake up Wednesday morning to blizzard conditions and RealFeel® temperatures of 13 degrees below zero!
Meanwhile, Punxsutawney Phil, perhaps the most famous groundhog in the world, could wake up to an icy rain.
The Groundhog Day Blizzard has the potential to find a page in the history books.
Stay tuned to AccuWeather.com for the latest on this life-threatening storm.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 107° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 28° | Daniel, WY |
| Precip | 2.39" | Alexandria, MN |
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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