More snow to target Colorado communities ravaged by historic wildfires
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 4, 2022 2:47 PM EDT
|
Updated Jan 5, 2022 2:31 PM EDT
The Marshall Fire burned over 6,000 acres in the cities of Superior and Louisville, Colorado. The FBI is assisting in the investigation into what caused the fire.
AccuWeather meteorologists say an active weather pattern will continue across the nation's midsection as a storm from the Pacific Northwest targets the Rockies and eventually the Appalachians with accumulating snowfall.
Another wave of cold and snow was targeting portions of Utah, Wyoming and Colorado on Wednesday, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker.
A wide swath of 1-3 inches of snow is expected for many, including residents of Casper, Wyoming, and Denver. The higher elevations of western Wyoming and central Colorado can expect to receive higher amounts, with up to a foot or more possible in some areas.
Ahead of the snow's arrival, the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, issued an emergency order on Tuesday evening, allowing for an expediated influx of petroleum gas into the state that is experiencing shortages already this year.
This area has not been a stranger to winter weather so far in 2022 as a blanket of snow coated the region on the first day of the year. This week's storm will be the second to impact the areas in Boulder County, Colorado, that were devastated by the Marshall Fire that broke out on Thursday, Dec. 30, and could lead to additional disruptions for ongoing recovery efforts.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The Marshall Fire destroyed 553 structures in the city of Louisville and another 332 in the nearby town of Superior. Tens of thousands of residents were forced to flee the communities at a moment's notice on Dec. 30, as hurricane-force winds whipped up multiple grass fires and caused them to explode in size. Both Louisville and Superior are located southeast of Boulder.
A burned truck in a destroyed neighborhood in Louisville, Colo., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.(AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
Some evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes on Monday, but officials say it remains unsafe for others to return to their properties.
No deaths have been linked to the fires, which burned more than 5,000 acres, but authorities continued to search for two missing people on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said in a news briefing that investigators are sifting through the debris of destroyed homes by hand and using small tools, according to the AP.
Fortunately, the influx of moisture into the region is likely to help squash the chances of any widespread fires in the near future, even if more gusty winds hit the region.
Strong wind gusts are forecast, however, across portions of Nebraska as this storm moves eastward through Wednesday night. Another strip of heavier snow is also expected across Nebraska, just north of where the center of the storm will trek. Heavy snowfall rates, combined with gusty winds, can result in reduced visibility and difficult travel, forecasters say.
As the storm moves across Kansas and into Missouri Wednesday night, it will lose some intensity, keeping snow accumulations on the lower side. However, despite the low accumulation totals, there are likely to be slippery conditions on untreated surfaces.
The storm is expected to reorganize and begin to gather Gulf of Mexico moisture while over the southern portion of the Mississippi Valley on Thursday.
"Cold air sweeping through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys into Wednesday night will set the stage for snow to fall in these areas on Thursday," said Walker.
Following highs in the 40s and 50s F across the area on Wednesday, Wednesday night's low temperatures from central Missouri to southern Ohio are forecast to dip down into the lower to middle 20s. Temperatures will remain below freezing for a lengthy period of time, allowing for snow to stick and accumulate on these surfaces from St. Louis to Pittsburgh.
Once again, a widespread amount of 1-3 inches of snow is expected, this time along the Ohio River. As the storm approaches the Appalachians, higher accumulations are expected.
Residents and travelers should be on alert for slippery conditions on any untreated roadways. Highways such as I-40, I-55, I-70 and I-77 could all have a coating of snow at some point during the day.
For cities such as Nashville, Crossville, Knoxville and Bristol, Tennessee, and London, Kentucky, the storm on Thursday will bring the second snowfall in less than a week. In the span of five days these locations and others in the region may end up with an entire season's worth of snowfall. For example, in Nashville, about 5 inches of snow typically falls during the winter season. Already from Sunday to Monday, 1.6 inches of snow has fallen and another 1-3 inches of snow is on the way for Thursday.
As the storm moves eastward Thursday night and Friday, portions of the Northeast are forecast to get hit with accumulating snow and significant travel disruptions. This storm will occur just days after a deadly storm hit the same region and dumped over a foot of snow across portions of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
More snow to target Colorado communities ravaged by historic wildfires
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 4, 2022 2:47 PM EDT | Updated Jan 5, 2022 2:31 PM EDT
The Marshall Fire burned over 6,000 acres in the cities of Superior and Louisville, Colorado. The FBI is assisting in the investigation into what caused the fire.
AccuWeather meteorologists say an active weather pattern will continue across the nation's midsection as a storm from the Pacific Northwest targets the Rockies and eventually the Appalachians with accumulating snowfall.
Another wave of cold and snow was targeting portions of Utah, Wyoming and Colorado on Wednesday, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker.
A wide swath of 1-3 inches of snow is expected for many, including residents of Casper, Wyoming, and Denver. The higher elevations of western Wyoming and central Colorado can expect to receive higher amounts, with up to a foot or more possible in some areas.
Ahead of the snow's arrival, the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, issued an emergency order on Tuesday evening, allowing for an expediated influx of petroleum gas into the state that is experiencing shortages already this year.
This area has not been a stranger to winter weather so far in 2022 as a blanket of snow coated the region on the first day of the year. This week's storm will be the second to impact the areas in Boulder County, Colorado, that were devastated by the Marshall Fire that broke out on Thursday, Dec. 30, and could lead to additional disruptions for ongoing recovery efforts.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The Marshall Fire destroyed 553 structures in the city of Louisville and another 332 in the nearby town of Superior. Tens of thousands of residents were forced to flee the communities at a moment's notice on Dec. 30, as hurricane-force winds whipped up multiple grass fires and caused them to explode in size. Both Louisville and Superior are located southeast of Boulder.
A burned truck in a destroyed neighborhood in Louisville, Colo., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.(AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
Some evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes on Monday, but officials say it remains unsafe for others to return to their properties.
No deaths have been linked to the fires, which burned more than 5,000 acres, but authorities continued to search for two missing people on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said in a news briefing that investigators are sifting through the debris of destroyed homes by hand and using small tools, according to the AP.
Fortunately, the influx of moisture into the region is likely to help squash the chances of any widespread fires in the near future, even if more gusty winds hit the region.
Strong wind gusts are forecast, however, across portions of Nebraska as this storm moves eastward through Wednesday night. Another strip of heavier snow is also expected across Nebraska, just north of where the center of the storm will trek. Heavy snowfall rates, combined with gusty winds, can result in reduced visibility and difficult travel, forecasters say.
As the storm moves across Kansas and into Missouri Wednesday night, it will lose some intensity, keeping snow accumulations on the lower side. However, despite the low accumulation totals, there are likely to be slippery conditions on untreated surfaces.
The storm is expected to reorganize and begin to gather Gulf of Mexico moisture while over the southern portion of the Mississippi Valley on Thursday.
"Cold air sweeping through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys into Wednesday night will set the stage for snow to fall in these areas on Thursday," said Walker.
Following highs in the 40s and 50s F across the area on Wednesday, Wednesday night's low temperatures from central Missouri to southern Ohio are forecast to dip down into the lower to middle 20s. Temperatures will remain below freezing for a lengthy period of time, allowing for snow to stick and accumulate on these surfaces from St. Louis to Pittsburgh.
Once again, a widespread amount of 1-3 inches of snow is expected, this time along the Ohio River. As the storm approaches the Appalachians, higher accumulations are expected.
Residents and travelers should be on alert for slippery conditions on any untreated roadways. Highways such as I-40, I-55, I-70 and I-77 could all have a coating of snow at some point during the day.
For cities such as Nashville, Crossville, Knoxville and Bristol, Tennessee, and London, Kentucky, the storm on Thursday will bring the second snowfall in less than a week. In the span of five days these locations and others in the region may end up with an entire season's worth of snowfall. For example, in Nashville, about 5 inches of snow typically falls during the winter season. Already from Sunday to Monday, 1.6 inches of snow has fallen and another 1-3 inches of snow is on the way for Thursday.
As the storm moves eastward Thursday night and Friday, portions of the Northeast are forecast to get hit with accumulating snow and significant travel disruptions. This storm will occur just days after a deadly storm hit the same region and dumped over a foot of snow across portions of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey.
SEE ALSO:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo