Blizzard warnings in effect for northern Plains as major snowstorm unfolds
The storm was already responsible for high winds and heavy snow across the Intermountain West this weekend. AccuWeather meteorologists say it is poised to evolve into a dangerous blizzard through the middle of this week.
A dangerous and disruptive storm will continue to unleash blizzard conditions across the northern Plains through midweek.
A major storm already responsible for unloading heavy snow over the interior West has set its sights on the northern Plains where AccuWeather meteorologists say it will evolve into a dangerous and disruptive blizzard.
AccuWeather's forecasting team, which consists of dozens of meteorologists largely based in Wichita, Kansas, and State College, Pennsylvania, has been warning of travel-halting snow for this week even before a different storm with snow and deadly severe weather struck the central United States last week.
This week's storm arrives just days after a snowstorm with localized blizzard conditions affected areas from the northern Plains to northern Michigan, AccuWeather Meteorologist Thomas Geiger said. However, the orientation of this storm will cause the heaviest snow with the strongest winds to occur north of the Great Lakes region, mainly from western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming through a large part of the Dakotas and the northwestern portions of Minnesota and Ontario.
For portions of the northern Plains, this system may end up being bigger than most of the snowstorms that occurred there this fall and winter in terms of the amount of snow that falls and conditions experienced, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz. "For cities such as Rapid City and Pierre, South Dakota, as well as Fargo, North Dakota, this storm is likely to be at the top," Benz said.
For example, Rapid City residents experienced multiple winter storms that each brought 5–10 inches of snow. However, meteorologists say this incoming storm has the potential to drop 1–2 feet of snow.
The storm already produced high winds over parts of the Intermountain West during the past weekend, which is a sign that it will live up to the designation of blizzard upon reaching its full fury over the northern Plains, Rayno explained.
A blizzard is officially defined by the National Weather Service as falling or blowing snow that results in a visibility of one-quarter mile or less and sustained winds of 35 mph or greater for three consecutive hours or more.
Official NWS blizzard warnings were in effect for most of the Dakotas as well as part of eastern Wyoming, northwest Nebraska and western Minnesota, as of Tuesday morning.
Winds gusted to hurricane force (75 mph) at Monarch Pass, Colorado, on Sunday. Snow began to fall in Salt Lake City on Sunday night and is forecast to continue at varying intensity over the northern Utah metro area and the Wasatch Range to the east into Tuesday evening. When the storm subsides, 6–10 inches will likely have fallen around the city, with perhaps 4–6 feet in the highest terrain of the Wasatch.
Snow will continue to spread northeastward across the northern Plains of the U.S. and into south-central Canada into Tuesday evening, forecasters say. Soon after the snow begins, gusty winds will start the blowing and drifting process. The strongest winds with gusts between 40 and 60 mph will likely focus on the Dakotas.
Snowfall rates of 1–2 inches per hour can occur during the peak intensity of the storm, and travel conditions will deteriorate rapidly. In Wyoming, the expected travel conditions led to the closure of Interstate 90 from the Wyoming state line east through Wall beginning at 8 p.m. MDT Monday.
Geiger stated that near-zero visibility will make for dangerous conditions for motorists who could easily lose their way during the storm, especially when considering the flat terrain and wide-open spaces in the region.
Even where official blizzard conditions are not met, winds gusting between 20 and 40 mph for many hours will lead to extensive blowing and drifting snow.
"Some secondary roads, major highways and rail systems may be closed for days due to the magnitude of the snow that falls, as well as the blowing and drifting snow produced by the storm," Benz said. "Drifts will be high enough to cover one-story homes in open areas."
Meteorologists have highlighted a large area where 18–24 inches of snow is likely to fall from eastern Wyoming to southwestern Ontario in Canada. While it may be difficult to measure within this zone, 3 feet or more could pile up over the wide open spaces and on the Black Hills of South Dakota.
A portion of the north-central U.S. has had more than a winter's worth of snow. In Duluth, Minnesota, where AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting 6–10 inches to fall from the storm, 130.4 inches of snow has already been recorded. Even if the minimum amount of the predicted snow falls, it would vault this winter to the top of the list of the snowiest on record. That top spot is currently held by the winter of 1995-96 when 135.4 inches of snow buried the city.
The storm's heavy snow will fall northwest of Minneapolis, where 89.7 inches of snow has fallen this winter. This is the third-highest seasonal snowfall total on record for the Twin Cities, with the snowiest season occurring in 1983-84 when 98.6 inches of snow piled up.
A significant threat from the storm will be power outages due to strong winds and the potential for the snow to cling in some locations. Even though temperatures will not be nearly as extreme as some midwinter blizzards, the cold air will result in conditions well below historical averages.
In Fargo, temperatures are set to plunge into the teens Fahrenheit Tuesday night and fail to climb out of the 20s F on Wednesday. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in much of the region will be 15-25 degrees lower than the actual temperature and can sometimes dip below zero. During early April, the average high and low temperatures are in the mid-40s and mid-20s F, respectively.
Strong winds generated by the storm will stir large waves and create dangerous conditions on Lake Superior from Wednesday to Thursday. Shifting winds with gust frequenting 40-60 mph will create waves of 10-20 feet during this period and pose a threat to vessels of any size.
On the storm's dry southwestern flank, high winds ranging from 40 to 60 mph will kick up dust and raise the threat of wildfires from portions of Arizona to New Mexico, southern Colorado and the western parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas into Wednesday.
Warm side of storm to trigger severe weather, raise flooding concerns
A significant severe weather outbreak, including tornadoes, will occur from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday evening in roughly the same areas that were hit hard by deadly and destructive storms from Friday to Saturday.
Just south and east of where the heavy snow will fall over the Upper Midwest, the combination of 1–2 inches of rain and the natural melting of some of the snow remaining on the ground will cause secondary rivers to surge this week.
Multiple secondary rivers in central and southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin are likely to crest at minor to moderate flood stages this week. The beginnings of the spring thaw will also cause water levels on the northern part of the Mississippi River to rise.
The rise and fall cycle of water levels on the Mississippi can take many weeks and months. The period of rising water, with some fluctuation, is likely to last into the late spring and could peak with moderate flooding in some locations. Major, long-lasting flooding is anticipated along the Red River of the north and others in the Dakotas this spring by AccuWeather's long-range team of meteorologists.
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