2 storms to unload swaths of snow, snarl travel in north-central US

The same two storms poised to spark more rounds of severe weather over the South Central states and snow for the interior West this week will also bring bands of travel-snarling snow from portions of the central Plains to the Upper Midwest this week, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

While the first storm brought some snow to the interior West Monday night, it really will not hit its stride in terms of wintry conditions until it reaches the northern tier of the Central states from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday.

The first and overall weaker of the two storms coming this week will bring 3-6 inches of snow from northeastern South Dakota to much of northern Minnesota later Tuesday to Wednesday. Fargo, North Dakota, will be one of the most populated locations to be in the thick of accumulating snow from the storm.

Ahead of the snowfall, rain will ramp up into Tuesday evening over a large part of the Upper Midwest.

In the Minneapolis metro area, drenching rain into Tuesday night will lead to urban flooding, AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz said.

"The combination of rapid runoff and storm drains clogged with piles of snow will lead to street flooding," Benz said. "A rapid freeze-up later Wednesday and Wednesday night will lead to icy conditions as temperatures plunge through the teens and into the single digits Fahrenheit. As slush freezes solid, ice ruts will form on the roads and add to hazards for motorists."

However, travel over much of Interstate 29 in the Dakotas and 94 in central Minnesota and eastern North Dakota will be slippery. Slippery conditions could even impact Minneapolis from this first storm.

The second storm will likely be much more disruptive over a long stretch of the Central states from Wednesday to Thursday, forecasters say. The snow band from the middle to late week will set up hundreds of miles farther to the southeast, compared to the storm from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Heavy snow will fall along a 1,200-mile stripe from eastern Colorado to northern Michigan and will affect hundreds of miles of interstates 29, 35, 70, 80, 90 and 94. In this zone, a general 6-12 inches of snow is in store with local amounts between 12 and 18 inches.

After dumping feet of snow on the Colorado Rockies, a significant amount of snow will fall on Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Enough snow to make for slippery travel is also anticipated in the Kansas City, Missouri, area, as well as Rockford, Illinois.

At this time, heavy snow is likely to avoid Chicago, but enough snow may fall to make for slippery conditions. Snow will stay away from Detroit, but aircraft and crews caught up in the snow at stops farther to the north and west, such as Denver, could have a ripple effect on flights in the Midwest and throughout the country.

As the storm strengthens upon moving northeastward over the Central states from Wednesday night to Thursday night, increasing winds will cause blowing and drifting snow or even blizzard conditions. The treacherous conditions will create an additional challenge for road crews to keep roads open in the region, especially in the vast open spaces.

In both of the storm's southern and eastern warm sectors, rounds of severe weather are anticipated, forecasters say. However, it is the second and stronger storm of the two that has the greatest risk of producing intense thunderstorms that can pose a significant threat to lives and property from Wednesday to Thursday.

A longer break from snow and severe weather will follow the second storm over the Central states with several days of quiet conditions likely from Friday through next weekend.

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