Watches and warnings in effect as complex storm threatens a host of weather impacts
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 9, 2020 1:53 PM EDT
Fire crews came to the aid of residents whose house was allegedly struck by lightning on Jan. 10, in San Antonio, Texas.
Winter storm warnings and watches stretch on Saturday morning stretched from Missouri to Maine as a complex storm system continued pushing across the middle of the United States.
The storm will be more typical of March as it will feature record-challenging warmth, flooding rainfall and severe thunderstorms on its southeastern side and an array of wintry precipitation to the north and west.
Enough heavy snow and ice can accumulate during the event to raise the risk of power outages and broken tree limbs, forecasters say. Power may be out for several days in some communities.
Snow to pummel Midwest to southern Canada
"On the western and northern tiers of this system, an area of snowfall will be likely from the central Plains up through the Great Lakes and into southern portions of Canada," AccuWeather Meteorologist Derek Witt said.
Enough snow and ice to disrupt daily routines, create slippery roadways and require shovels and plows, is possible from Oklahoma City to Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Davenport, Iowa; Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Caribou, Maine; and Quebec City.
The greatest risk of 6-12 inches of snowfall and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches will be from the western and upper Great Lakes to southern Ontario, Quebec and northern Maine.
Quebec City is likely to get pummeled with its heaviest snow event so far this season, with 1-2 feet (30-60 centimeters) forecast to pile up.
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Depending on how quickly the storm intensifies and how much moisture is available on its northwestern fringes, a separate area of 6 or more inches of snow can accumulate in the central Plains.
In some cases, the storm may begin as rain before changing over to ice and then all snow as temperatures take a nosedive. Any untreated roads and sidewalks are likely to freeze up in a hurry, creating hidden dangers for motorists.
Just enough cold air will sneak in on the back side of the storm to cause wet and slushy areas to freeze from Missouri and southeastern Iowa to northern Michigan Saturday night.
Ice to create additional hazards in central, northeastern US
Sandwiched between the snow on the northern and western tiers and heavy rain and severe thunderstorms to the south, an icy corridor of sleet and freezing rain is expected.
AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned for a long-lasting freezing rain event. Communities that get hit hard with freezing rain are more likely to face widespread tree and power outages since this precipitation type clings to trees and power lines as opposed to bouncing off them like sleet.
The icy weather on Friday night spread from Kansas and Missouri through Iowa and Illinois to Michigan through Saturday, leaving a glaze on roads.
The corridor of significant icing will be expanding eastward into portions of northern New York state, New England and Canada's St. Lawrence River Valley.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Watches and warnings in effect as complex storm threatens a host of weather impacts
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 9, 2020 1:53 PM EDT
Fire crews came to the aid of residents whose house was allegedly struck by lightning on Jan. 10, in San Antonio, Texas.
Winter storm warnings and watches stretch on Saturday morning stretched from Missouri to Maine as a complex storm system continued pushing across the middle of the United States.
The storm will be more typical of March as it will feature record-challenging warmth, flooding rainfall and severe thunderstorms on its southeastern side and an array of wintry precipitation to the north and west.
Enough heavy snow and ice can accumulate during the event to raise the risk of power outages and broken tree limbs, forecasters say. Power may be out for several days in some communities.
Snow to pummel Midwest to southern Canada
"On the western and northern tiers of this system, an area of snowfall will be likely from the central Plains up through the Great Lakes and into southern portions of Canada," AccuWeather Meteorologist Derek Witt said.
Enough snow and ice to disrupt daily routines, create slippery roadways and require shovels and plows, is possible from Oklahoma City to Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Davenport, Iowa; Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Caribou, Maine; and Quebec City.
The greatest risk of 6-12 inches of snowfall and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches will be from the western and upper Great Lakes to southern Ontario, Quebec and northern Maine.
Quebec City is likely to get pummeled with its heaviest snow event so far this season, with 1-2 feet (30-60 centimeters) forecast to pile up.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Depending on how quickly the storm intensifies and how much moisture is available on its northwestern fringes, a separate area of 6 or more inches of snow can accumulate in the central Plains.
In some cases, the storm may begin as rain before changing over to ice and then all snow as temperatures take a nosedive. Any untreated roads and sidewalks are likely to freeze up in a hurry, creating hidden dangers for motorists.
Just enough cold air will sneak in on the back side of the storm to cause wet and slushy areas to freeze from Missouri and southeastern Iowa to northern Michigan Saturday night.
Related:
Ice to create additional hazards in central, northeastern US
Sandwiched between the snow on the northern and western tiers and heavy rain and severe thunderstorms to the south, an icy corridor of sleet and freezing rain is expected.
AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned for a long-lasting freezing rain event. Communities that get hit hard with freezing rain are more likely to face widespread tree and power outages since this precipitation type clings to trees and power lines as opposed to bouncing off them like sleet.
The icy weather on Friday night spread from Kansas and Missouri through Iowa and Illinois to Michigan through Saturday, leaving a glaze on roads.
The corridor of significant icing will be expanding eastward into portions of northern New York state, New England and Canada's St. Lawrence River Valley.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo