The early season blizzard continues today across the Dakotas as severe thunderstorms move into the lower Mississippi Valley.
A potent storm will continue to slam the nation's midsection today, with blizzard conditions and severe thunderstorms forecast.
Widespread
watches, warnings and advisories are in effect from the northern Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley.
The blizzard that developed Wednesday night will persist across the Dakotas through tonight. The
Winter Weather Center reports snow
totals will approach a foot across the Dakotas and extreme south-central Manitoba.
The snow beginning as rain and sleet from the eastern Dakotas into northern Ontario will limit snow amounts.
Strong winds whipping the falling snow around will result in dangerously low visibility for an extended period of time. Travel will be extremely treacherous, if not impossible.
The adverse weather has forced officials to close Interstate 90 through western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. Travel is not advised on Interstate 94 in western North Dakota.
The blizzard on Wednesday night began on the northern High Plains. The combination of heavy snow and winds gusting close to 80 mph quickly brought visibility in South Dakota down to a quarter-mile in
Rapid City and no more than 150 feet near Rocky Ford.
The
Midwest Regional News story reports the blizzard will wind down by Friday. Blustery winds will continue. The
snow will turn to showers as drier air works into the storm center.
The storm has dumped nearly three feet of snow near Deadwood, S.D., and other areas of the Black Hills. Additional snow amounts as of early this morning include:
- Near Kadoka, S.D. - 7.0 inches
- Near Allen, S.D. - 6.0 inches
- Hoover, S.D. - 3.0 inches
The cold air on the back side of the storm will fuel more severe thunderstorms today from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Texas coast.
The
Severe Weather Center reports the intense thunderstorms will ignite this afternoon once daytime heating adds instability to the
atmosphere.
The strongest thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging winds, hail and drenching downpours, while the potential of tornado development cannot be ruled out.
Severe weather erupted on Wednesday afternoon from the border of Nebraska and Iowa to extreme northeastern Texas, with the strongest storms reported in Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri.
Winds gusted to 60 mph during a thunderstorm in Oilton, Okla., golf ball-sized hail slammed Oklahoma City,
and nearly 3.5 inches of rain fell in Guthrie, Okla.
The
South Regional News
story reports that the severe weather threat will by Friday as the storm system moves east of the Mississippi Valley. Showers and thunderstorms will slowly push through the South into Saturday.
The movement of the cold front toward the East Coast will steer Tropical Storm Paloma away from the Southeast.
The
AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center is forecasting Paloma is expected to stay south of the Florida peninsula;
however, rain bands could reach as far north as the Florida Keys and parts of South Florida.
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