Strong winds, blizzard conditions and severe storms on tap for Rockies, Plains
A storm entering on the West Coast will transition into the Rockies and Plains this week, sparking numerous threats ranging from snow-induced travel delays, wildfire threats, damaging winds and severe t-storms.
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Following an active weather pattern across the nation over the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that another storm is on the horizon for the upcoming week that could spread a burst of snow, blustery winds and even the risk for severe thunderstorms.
The storm's energy moved onshore along the West Coast on Monday, ushering in a wave of steady rain, coastal winds and high-elevation snow. Valley rain and mountain snow spread well inland as well Monday night with slippery to dangerous travel conditions over the higher elevations of the Intermountain West.
Burst of snow across the Rockies, Plains
As the storm traversed the Rocky Mountains Monday night, heavy snow developed across portions of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado. The greatest snow totals observed occurred in the Beartooth Mountains near Yellowstone National Park in Montana and the Bighorn Mountains of north-central Wyoming.
"The system was emerged east of the Front Range on Tuesday, bringing accumulating snow to the Interstate 25 corridor of Wyoming as well as parts of interstates 70 and 80," AccuWeather Meteorologist Grady Gilman said.
Gilman added that snow will total 3-6 inches, with 6-12 inches possible locally on the northern side of the storm across parts of eastern Nebraska into Iowa and Wisconsin. Though the exact track of the storm will ultimately result in the final location of the heaviest snow; the gradient between notable snowfall amounts and no snow will be sharp and significant.
Gusty winds to spark fire threat for some, blizzard conditions for others
Another important factor for this pattern will be the return of boisterous winds from the Rockies to the Plains into midweek. However, locations farther east will not escape the gusty pattern as the storm transitions across the Great Lakes and Northeast later this week.
On Tuesday, winds ramped up east of the Front Range in Colorado and New Mexico into Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Widespread gusts upwards of 40 mph occurred across this zone, with a corridor of winds exceeding 50 mph across several states.
The highest wind gusts developed across central and eastern New Mexico, where gusts to 60-70 mph occurred. Even a peak gust of 78 mph was recorded in Lubbock, Texas at 7 p.m. CDT on Tuesday.
While the gusty winds will create areas of blowing dust that may impact travelers, they can also be strong enough to bring down tree branches and power lines, resulting in power outages for some. Where winds blow across the highways, the risk of trucks and other high-profile vehicles will be substantial.
Tuesday into Wednesday, as the winds transition north and eastward into the Plains where accumulating snowfall is expected, forecasters also warn that blizzard conditions will be possible across a narrow corridor.
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Across the South Central states, the combination of strong winds, dry conditions and low humidity levels resulted in a high fire risk Tuesday into Tuesday night, particularly across eastern New Mexico and West Texas.
Satellite images indicated that a new large wildfire had broken out in the northwestern corner of the Texas Panhandle during Tuesday afternoon. This fire may spark new blazes from burning embers being carried quickly away downwind.
Forecasters warn that residents should avoid outdoor burning and be mindful of anything that could potentially spark fires, as any that develop could spread rapidly.
Wednesday is expected to be less windy across the southern Plains, but still windy enough to raise concern about the potential for new wildfires to ignite. This risk will extend to the Mississippi River as the storm tracks toward the Great Lakes.
Severe thunderstorm risk along the warm flank of the storm
Late last week and over the weekend, the intense storm activity resulted in devastating damage to the Central and Southeast states with at least 40 fatalities reported.
The risk into midweek is not currently projected to compare to the destruction observed over the last several days, forecasters say, but storms that developed late Tuesday night over Iowa can still produce gusty downpours and hail as they sweep through parts of the central Plains.
The risk of severe weather will broaden significantly on Wednesday and extend from the Great Lakes to nearly the northern shores of the Gulf.
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