Brutal cold to set stage for snow in midwestern US this week
As frigid air remains entrenched over the midwestern United States, a couple of opportunities for snow and travel disruptions are forecast this week.
Temperatures will average 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit below normal across the North Central states as reinforcing waves of piercing cold spill southward from Canada.
High temperatures in the teens and 20s F will be common this week in Minneapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; Green Bay and Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago and Detroit.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will dip into the single digits and below zero at times, making it uncomfortable and even dangerous to be outside for an extended period.
The cold will allow any storm that slices across the Midwest to produce a swath of wintry precipitation.
The first wave of snow will shift from Nebraska, Iowa and southern Minnesota during Monday afternoon to Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northern Missouri during Monday evening and to southern Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York on Monday night.
The snow will be light and fluffy in nature which will make for less strenuous shoveling but cause the snow to accumulate rather quickly.
“A band of moderate to heavy snow will streak across Iowa and Illinois bringing localized snow amounts topping 6 inches,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.
Snow arrived in Chicago during the afternoon with Chicago's O'Hare International Airport experiencing over 550 flight cancellations and more than 640 delays.
A batch of freezing rain also lead to icy roads around and west of St. Louis around the Monday evening commute.
Stretches of interstates 29, 70, 74, 75, 80 and 90, as well as side streets and sidewalks, will become slick and snow covered in a short amount of time.
The snow will stay south of Minneapolis as fans travel home from the Super Bowl. However, those with connections in Chicago could face delays.
As the snow quickly spreads eastward, motorists from Indianapolis to Detroit; Cleveland; Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York, will need to be wary of icy spots during the Tuesday morning commute.
A second wave of snow may streak from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes spanning Thursday and Friday.
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