Wild storm packing severe weather, blizzard and high winds to blast central US
On the last official day of astronomical winter, a wild storm will pack severe weather with the potential for several tornadoes, but also powerful wind gusts in thunderstorms, showers, dusty air and blizzard conditions.
Despite spring nearing, winter kept its grip over the central U.S. including Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. A blizzard blasted through the region causing whiteouts, road closures and stranded vehicles.
Thunderstorms will be on the prowl in nearly 250,000 square miles of the central United States into Wednesday night, and within that zone, approximately 90 million people will be at risk for severe weather, including Indianapolis, St. Louis, Detroit, Nashville and Columbus, Ohio, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. The same storm is also bringing blizzard conditions and a vast area of high winds.
Severe weather
While a major outbreak of tornadoes is not anticipated, the handful of twisters that form can bring dangerous conditions and inflict significant damage should any strike a populated area.
The scope of severe weather may pale in comparison to the more than 140 reports of tornadoes, with well over 1,100 incidents of severe weather ranging from tornadoes to high winds and large hail that occurred just days earlier. Still, AccuWeather meteorologists urge people to take the severe weather threat into Wednesday night seriously and closely heed all warnings issued.
The greatest risk of severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes--currently a moderate risk--will focus on larger portions of Illinois and Indiana, with Chicago near the northern edge of this zone. A moderate risk means that numerous severe thunderstorms are anticipated.
Peoria, Springfield and Decatur are among some of the other metro areas in Illinois that are within this moderate-risk area. Meanwhile, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Lafayette and Bloomington are among the Indiana cities in the moderate threat zone.
Some severe thunderstorms can occur as far north as southeastern Iowa, near the southern tier of Wisconsin, part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and southwestern Ontario, and as far south as the central portions of Mississippi and Alabama.
All modes of severe weather are possible with any of the thunderstorms into Wednesday night, ranging from tornadoes to large hail, powerful straight-line wind gusts, and flash flooding downpours. As the storms roll through neighborhoods, along with the dangers to people, property damage and power outages can result.
High winds
The same storm is packing strong winds of 40 mph or greater that will sprawl over an area of a half-million square miles into Wednesday night.
On the storm's southwestern flank, powerful winds topping 70 mph in portions of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado helped kick up dust and spread new wildfires on Tuesday over the southern Plains.
As the dust spreads eastward, it can lead to some "dirty" showers that leave noticeable deposits on cars. Where a significant amount of dust blocks out the sun's warming effects, it could tend to limit severe thunderstorm activity in some locations.
Blizzard creates widespread travel problems
Meanwhile, on the storm's northwestern flank, a long band of accumulating snow was stretching from Colorado to southeastern Minnesota and central Wisconsin on Wednesday. Some locations within this band have picked up or will receive 6-12 inches of snow. Even heavier snow is forecast to fall on parts of northern Michigan and Ontario with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches.
At the start of the day on Wednesday, blizzard warnings extended for 600 miles in a swath from southwestern Kansas to southeastern Minnesota and affected portions of interstates 35, 70, 80 and 90 with very low visibility due to high winds in heavy snow or blowing snow.
During the midday hours, thunder and lightning were accompanying the snow and blizzard conditions in some areas of the central Plains.
The same dust being carried in from the deserts and southern High Plains can result in brown or red snow in some cases, depending on the nature of the soil that was swept away.
In addition to the risk to lives and property, the multifaceted storm will create widespread travel problems. As severe thunderstorms approach and pass over some of the busiest airport hubs in the U.S., ground stops and airline delays will result. Strong crosswinds can cause some trucks to lose control and flip over. Blizzard conditions can lead to road closures that can affect several major highway arteries that connect the Midwest with the West.
As the storm progresses to the east, some areas in the Upper Midwest, such as Chicago, can be blasted by both severe weather for Wednesday evening's rush hour, then just a few hours later, accumulating snow for Thursday morning's rush hour.
Trouble in the East Thursday, Friday
The massive multifaceted storm will give birth to a new storm along the Atlantic coast on Thursday, which in turn will not only trigger severe weather along part of the I-95 corridor during the afternoon and evening but also accumulating snow across the interior of the Northeast from later Thursday night to Friday.
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