Dangerous travel conditions expected from Colorado to Michigan with winter storm
A storm streaking across the center of the country could cause major delays for those traveling ahead of Thanksgiving.
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 24, 2019 4:57 PM EDT
A storm streaking across the center of the country could cause major delays for those traveling ahead of Thanksgiving.
The timing of the storm coincides with the peak of travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the daily number of travelers will increase throughout the holiday week until Wednesday.
After bringing cold and snow to parts of the Northwest for the start of the week, the storm gathered strength in the center of the country on Tuesday.
The combination of snow and strong winds will cause the visibility to lower and create local blizzard conditions into Wednesday morning.
High Plains: Into Tuesday
Snow in northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska, has been the heaviest and steadiest from Monday night through Tuesday. Conditions on roads, such as interstates 25, 70, 76 and 80 have deteriorated quickly as the snow piled up.
A fatal accident was reported by the Colorado State Police along Interstate 70 early Tuesday. The roadway was closed in both directions between Dowd Junction and Post Boulevard, officials said.
Snowfall amounts are likely to be approaching or exceeding the 12-inch mark before the snow is said and done for many in the region, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ï¸ of 40 inches.
As of 8:20 a.m. local time Tuesday, an observer near Estes Park, Colorado, reported nearly 32 inches of snow. More snow fell through the day on Tuesday.
In addition to the accumulating snow, winds will be increasing as the storm moves off to the east. This could lead to blowing snow, reduced visibility and drifting snow.
Blizzard conditions will be possible from far northeastern Colorado, through central Nebraska.
The hardest-hit areas in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, will be dry Tuesday night and Wednesday, but more precipitation could arrive by the morning of Thanksgiving.
Central Plains: Into Tuesday night
Throughout the day on Tuesday, the storm will shift east and begin moving more quickly, bringing a swath of plowable snow from central Nebraska to southeastern Minnesota.
Generally, a swath of 3-6 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in the region. However, there will be a narrow stripe of snowfall in excess of 6 inches.
"The blustery conditions, along with and behind the storm will likely lead to blowing snow for many, making accumulations difficult to measure," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys stated.
Motorists on I-29 from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Rock Port, Missouri, and on I-80 from North Platte, Nebraska, to Des Moines, Iowa, should use caution.
The combination of a blanket of snow and the gusting wind will likely make for poor visibility on the roads, and will likely make for tricky driving for high profile vehicles.
The commute in Omaha could be slower than usual as rain switches back to snow.
The exception to the blowing snow will be in places like southeastern Nebraska, northern Kansas, and far-southern Iowa, where precipitation will begin as rain or a wintry mix before changing over to snow. However, even without blowing snow, dangerous travel is still possible in this region.
Travel conditions look to improve on Wednesday, with chilly and dry conditions across this region; however, more precipitation could stream back into the area on Thanksgiving Day.
Upper Midwest: Tuesday night into Wednesday
After a quiet Tuesday across the majority of the Great Lakes, the storm will overspread the region Tuesday night.
"Conditions will likely deteriorate quickly across northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota into Wisconsin, during the evening," said Roys.
Parts of interstates 35, 39, 90 and 94 will have snow becoming steadier throughout the night.
Cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and Indianapolis, will have rain for the evening commute on Tuesday, which may still lead to travel disruptions.
As the snow and rain comes down, gusty winds will persist around the intensifying storm. Blowing snow and wind-driven rain will reduce visibility for anyone out and about at night.
Widespread snowfall amounts of 3-6 inches are expected from southern Minnesota up into southern Ontario, however a swath of more than half a foot of snow is also likely across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
By Wednesday morning, the center of the storm will be over Lake Huron. However, impacts are likely to continue across much of the region.
Snow will still be falling across northern Lower Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and much of Wisconsin on Wednesday morning.
Gusty winds will continue across the region as well, creating some lake-effect snow southwest of Lake Superior. In any steadier band of lake-effect snow, snow accumulations may exceed a foot.
Gusty winds associated with the storm system will also lead to further beach erosion for many downwind locations on the Great Lakes Wednesday into Wednesday night.
As the storm moves even farther east throughout the day on Wednesday, conditions in the Upper Midwest will improve. Snow will taper off by midday, with winds dying down by the evening hours.
On Wednesday, rain will spread across much of the Northeast.
Mainly dry conditions are expected across the Midwest on Thanksgiving Day.
Download the free AccuWeather app to get a more detailed forecast for your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Dangerous travel conditions expected from Colorado to Michigan with winter storm
A storm streaking across the center of the country could cause major delays for those traveling ahead of Thanksgiving.
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 24, 2019 4:57 PM EDT
A storm streaking across the center of the country could cause major delays for those traveling ahead of Thanksgiving.
The timing of the storm coincides with the peak of travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the daily number of travelers will increase throughout the holiday week until Wednesday.
After bringing cold and snow to parts of the Northwest for the start of the week, the storm gathered strength in the center of the country on Tuesday.
The combination of snow and strong winds will cause the visibility to lower and create local blizzard conditions into Wednesday morning.
High Plains: Into Tuesday
Snow in northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska, has been the heaviest and steadiest from Monday night through Tuesday. Conditions on roads, such as interstates 25, 70, 76 and 80 have deteriorated quickly as the snow piled up.
A fatal accident was reported by the Colorado State Police along Interstate 70 early Tuesday. The roadway was closed in both directions between Dowd Junction and Post Boulevard, officials said.
Snowfall amounts are likely to be approaching or exceeding the 12-inch mark before the snow is said and done for many in the region, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ï¸ of 40 inches.
As of 8:20 a.m. local time Tuesday, an observer near Estes Park, Colorado, reported nearly 32 inches of snow. More snow fell through the day on Tuesday.
In addition to the accumulating snow, winds will be increasing as the storm moves off to the east. This could lead to blowing snow, reduced visibility and drifting snow.
Blizzard conditions will be possible from far northeastern Colorado, through central Nebraska.
The hardest-hit areas in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, will be dry Tuesday night and Wednesday, but more precipitation could arrive by the morning of Thanksgiving.
Related:
Central Plains: Into Tuesday night
Throughout the day on Tuesday, the storm will shift east and begin moving more quickly, bringing a swath of plowable snow from central Nebraska to southeastern Minnesota.
Generally, a swath of 3-6 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in the region. However, there will be a narrow stripe of snowfall in excess of 6 inches.
"The blustery conditions, along with and behind the storm will likely lead to blowing snow for many, making accumulations difficult to measure," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys stated.
Motorists on I-29 from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Rock Port, Missouri, and on I-80 from North Platte, Nebraska, to Des Moines, Iowa, should use caution.
The combination of a blanket of snow and the gusting wind will likely make for poor visibility on the roads, and will likely make for tricky driving for high profile vehicles.
The commute in Omaha could be slower than usual as rain switches back to snow.
The exception to the blowing snow will be in places like southeastern Nebraska, northern Kansas, and far-southern Iowa, where precipitation will begin as rain or a wintry mix before changing over to snow. However, even without blowing snow, dangerous travel is still possible in this region.
Travel conditions look to improve on Wednesday, with chilly and dry conditions across this region; however, more precipitation could stream back into the area on Thanksgiving Day.
Upper Midwest: Tuesday night into Wednesday
After a quiet Tuesday across the majority of the Great Lakes, the storm will overspread the region Tuesday night.
"Conditions will likely deteriorate quickly across northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota into Wisconsin, during the evening," said Roys.
Parts of interstates 35, 39, 90 and 94 will have snow becoming steadier throughout the night.
Cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and Indianapolis, will have rain for the evening commute on Tuesday, which may still lead to travel disruptions.
As the snow and rain comes down, gusty winds will persist around the intensifying storm. Blowing snow and wind-driven rain will reduce visibility for anyone out and about at night.
Widespread snowfall amounts of 3-6 inches are expected from southern Minnesota up into southern Ontario, however a swath of more than half a foot of snow is also likely across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
By Wednesday morning, the center of the storm will be over Lake Huron. However, impacts are likely to continue across much of the region.
Snow will still be falling across northern Lower Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and much of Wisconsin on Wednesday morning.
Gusty winds will continue across the region as well, creating some lake-effect snow southwest of Lake Superior. In any steadier band of lake-effect snow, snow accumulations may exceed a foot.
Gusty winds associated with the storm system will also lead to further beach erosion for many downwind locations on the Great Lakes Wednesday into Wednesday night.
As the storm moves even farther east throughout the day on Wednesday, conditions in the Upper Midwest will improve. Snow will taper off by midday, with winds dying down by the evening hours.
On Wednesday, rain will spread across much of the Northeast.
Mainly dry conditions are expected across the Midwest on Thanksgiving Day.
Download the free AccuWeather app to get a more detailed forecast for your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo