Arctic air to follow waves of snow across northern Plains, Great Lakes as 2019 begins
Winds were blowing up to 50 miles per hour at this gas station in Colby, Kansas on Dec. 27. Many trucks were seen stopping at this station not risking the near-blizzard conditions. Interstate-70 was also reported closed.
Two storms will bring snow to parts of the North Central states, and then open the door for brutal cold into the new year.
Snow began in the northern Plains on Sunday and spread from Nebraska to northern Wisconsin, northeastern Minnesota and part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Monday.
Before snow tapers off during Monday night, several inches will accumulate across the area.
Increasingly windy conditions will take place across the Dakotas as well, making for wind-blown snow, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
Gusty winds will spread into Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Tuesday, putting travelers at risk for reduced visibility from blowing snow along interstates 29, 35, 90 and 94.
The snow and gusty winds are ushering in the latest batch of Arctic air. The conditions will make for AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures between zero and minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday night into Tuesday morning.
“RealFeel® Temperatures can plummet to around minus 30 in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and minus 38 in Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota, Monday night,” added Pydynowski.
In such conditions, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in less than 30 minutes.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see how low RealFeel Temperatures are expected to be in your area.
Farther south, as a separate storm brings rain to parts of the South and Ohio Valley during New Year’s Eve, some snow and a wintry mix will fall on its northwestern flank.
Slippery conditions are expected for those traveling into Monday night from parts of Iowa, southern Wisconsin and the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. A combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain are in store for this swath.
Brisk northerly winds will accompany the wintry mix, with gusts up to 25 mph.
A few flakes may linger across Michigan through the morning hours on New Year’s Day, but the majority of the snow at that point will have moved into Ontario and Quebec.
Instead, dry and cold air will grip the Great Lakes. Temperatures on Tuesday will struggle to reach the middle 30s across northern Illinois and Michigan.
The cold will likely linger through Wednesday, before warming up later in the week.
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