Snowstorm to threaten travel delays from central Plains to Upper Midwest on Thursday
A storm will continue to blast a portion of the Interstate 70 to the I-94 corridor in the north-central United States with snow, wind and plunging temperatures at midweek.
Cross-country travelers may opt to take a more southern route across the nation’s midsection to avoid treacherous driving conditions spanning through Thursday.
“Heavy snow will fall to the north of the storm's track as it moves northeastward across the Plains to the upper Great Lakes,” AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Brian Adams said.
Snow will continue as a fresh outbreak of cold air invades the northwestern flank of the storm.
Fargo, North Dakota; Omaha Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis, Rochester and Duluth, Minnesota; Eau Claire, Wisconsin, are in fore for enough snow to shovel and plow.
There is the potential for some areas to pick up 6 or more inches of snow.
To the delight of skiers, this storm brought plenty of fresh snow to the mountains in Wyoming and Colorado on Wednesday.
The swath at risk of a moderate-to-heavy snowfall accumulation includes portions of interstates 29, 35, 70, 80, 90 and 94.
Gusty winds will whip the snow around, cause low visibility and produce drifts.
Adams anticipates the strong winds to trigger localized blizzard conditions and significant blowing and drifting of snow in a portion of the northern and central Plains.
Airline passengers at major and regional airports may also encounter delays during the height of the storm.
“Major disruptions to logistical operations, travel delays and road closures are all expected due to the variety of hazardous weather as well as the areal coverage of this storm system,” Adams said.
A narrow zone of ice is forecast to occur along the southern periphery of the swath of snow spanning through Thursday.
In the wake of the wintry precipitation, a renewed cold wave will plunge into the Central states by the end of the week.
However, it will take a second storm that tracks farther to the east to bring the cold air into much of the eastern Great Lakes and the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. That second storm will bring a substantial amount of ice, snow and dangerous travel a heavily-populated part of the Midwest.
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