Powerful winds to rip through Central states
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Dec 14, 2021 3:18 PM EDT
|
Updated Dec 15, 2021 4:48 PM EDT
A powerful storm that unloaded several feet of snow in California’s Sierra Nevada will swing northeastward and bring a dose of snow to the northern Plains through the middle of the week. However, the storm’s problems won’t just be limited to snow, as it will also unleash destructive winds that can raise the risk of fast-moving wildfires for areas farther south, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
Snow from the storm in California shut down travel along one of the nation's busiest highways for a time Monday night to early Tuesday. Snow falling at the rate of several inches per hour piled up over Donner Pass, California, along Interstate 80. Just days after Salt Lake City snapped its snow drought with a couple of inches, this new storm brought over 4 inches of snow late Tuesday night into early Wednesday. In fact, thunder was even reported with the snow for a brief time.
Even though this storm is traveling farther north than last weekend's storm and will avoid bringing snow to Denver, it will bring accumulating snow that could produce slippery travel conditions from the Dakotas and northwestern Nebraska to the northwestern half of Minnesota from Wednesday night to Thursday. AccuWeather forecasters project that Fargo, North Dakota, which missed out on snow from last weekend's storm, will be blanketed by 1-3 inches of snow mainly during Wednesday night.
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"Fast movement and limited moisture available to this storm versus last weekend's storm will generally limit the amount of snow to 1-6 inches with locally higher amounts," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. The storm that brought close to a foot of snow to Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 11, unloaded up to 2 feet of snow over parts of southeastern Minnesota and central Wisconsin.
Due to the storm track, the snow this week will be focused farther to the north and west. However, a quick drop in temperature that accompanies this storm can lead to a rapid freeze-up and a layer of ice on roads and sidewalks beneath the snow and in areas where winds fail to quickly dry off the roads.
The freeze-up can make the wintry accumulation difficult to remove, which can create dangerous driving conditions along portions of I-29, I-90 and I-94 over the northern Plains from Wednesday night to Thursday. Forecasters warn that poor visibility will be a concern as well.
"Gusty winds accompanying the snow and colder air moving in can create blizzard conditions at times over parts of the Dakotas and northwestern Wisconsin," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said.
Strong winds are likely to be the storm's primary legacy from the Southwestern deserts to much of the Plains and Upper Midwest through Wednesday night.
Winds gusted to 87 mph early Wednesday morning in the mountains of Colorado at Steamboat Springs, while winds gusted to 74 mph at Elgin, Utah. Wind speeds greater than 100 mph have been recorded over the High Plains of Colorado with the town of Lamar reporting 107 mph gusts as of the midday hours.
A swirl of clouds indicated an intense storm over western Kansas on Wednesday afternoon on Dec. 15, 2021. Bubbly clouds to the east showed erupting thunderstorms, while light brown wispy clouds indicated blowing dust just south of the swirl center. (NOAA/GOES-East)
As the storm continues northeastward, high winds will continue to howl from across the Texas Panhandle, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska to Iowa, southeastern Minnesota and northwestern Missouri through Wednesday night. In this zone, frequent gusts ranging from 50-80 mph are in store with gusts topping 100 mph in some cases, forecasters say. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 120 mph is possible and can easily flip over trucks, cause major property damage and lead to extensive power outages.
The combination of dry brush, dry air and high winds will lead to a heightened wildfire risk over portions of the central and southern Plains. Soil and brush conditions in this area range from abnormally dry to extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. High winds were fanning the flames of several large wildfires in the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas Wednesday afternoon.
Dust from the deserts may be transported hundreds of miles to the northeast by the high winds. In extreme cases, dust can briefly reduce visibility levels to under a few hundred feet. At Garden City, Kansas, the visibility dipped to near zero for a time due to blowing dust Wednesday afternoon. In general, for this event, the airborne dust can make for a hazy appearance to the sky overhead.
The gusty winds can be accompanied by severe thunderstorms as a squall line attempts to develop near and east of I-29 and I-49 over the central Plains from Wednesday afternoon to Wednesday night. A few tornadoes may precede the squall line.
In the wake of the storm, the dramatic see-saw temperature pattern that has become the "norm" during the first half of December will end. Instead, a relatively fast west-to-east flow of air will set up over the northern half of the nation for the balance of the month. The pattern is likely to continue producing opportunities for snow and bring brief episodes of gusty winds as mild Pacific and cold Canadian air change hands. However, rounds of extreme warmth producing temperatures of 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit above average may come to an end in the northern half of the nation, which could also reduce the potential for major tornado outbreaks farther south.
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.
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News / Winter Weather
Powerful winds to rip through Central states
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Dec 14, 2021 3:18 PM EDT | Updated Dec 15, 2021 4:48 PM EDT
A powerful storm that unloaded several feet of snow in California’s Sierra Nevada will swing northeastward and bring a dose of snow to the northern Plains through the middle of the week. However, the storm’s problems won’t just be limited to snow, as it will also unleash destructive winds that can raise the risk of fast-moving wildfires for areas farther south, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
Snow from the storm in California shut down travel along one of the nation's busiest highways for a time Monday night to early Tuesday. Snow falling at the rate of several inches per hour piled up over Donner Pass, California, along Interstate 80. Just days after Salt Lake City snapped its snow drought with a couple of inches, this new storm brought over 4 inches of snow late Tuesday night into early Wednesday. In fact, thunder was even reported with the snow for a brief time.
Even though this storm is traveling farther north than last weekend's storm and will avoid bringing snow to Denver, it will bring accumulating snow that could produce slippery travel conditions from the Dakotas and northwestern Nebraska to the northwestern half of Minnesota from Wednesday night to Thursday. AccuWeather forecasters project that Fargo, North Dakota, which missed out on snow from last weekend's storm, will be blanketed by 1-3 inches of snow mainly during Wednesday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Fast movement and limited moisture available to this storm versus last weekend's storm will generally limit the amount of snow to 1-6 inches with locally higher amounts," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. The storm that brought close to a foot of snow to Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 11, unloaded up to 2 feet of snow over parts of southeastern Minnesota and central Wisconsin.
Due to the storm track, the snow this week will be focused farther to the north and west. However, a quick drop in temperature that accompanies this storm can lead to a rapid freeze-up and a layer of ice on roads and sidewalks beneath the snow and in areas where winds fail to quickly dry off the roads.
The freeze-up can make the wintry accumulation difficult to remove, which can create dangerous driving conditions along portions of I-29, I-90 and I-94 over the northern Plains from Wednesday night to Thursday. Forecasters warn that poor visibility will be a concern as well.
"Gusty winds accompanying the snow and colder air moving in can create blizzard conditions at times over parts of the Dakotas and northwestern Wisconsin," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said.
Strong winds are likely to be the storm's primary legacy from the Southwestern deserts to much of the Plains and Upper Midwest through Wednesday night.
Winds gusted to 87 mph early Wednesday morning in the mountains of Colorado at Steamboat Springs, while winds gusted to 74 mph at Elgin, Utah. Wind speeds greater than 100 mph have been recorded over the High Plains of Colorado with the town of Lamar reporting 107 mph gusts as of the midday hours.
A swirl of clouds indicated an intense storm over western Kansas on Wednesday afternoon on Dec. 15, 2021. Bubbly clouds to the east showed erupting thunderstorms, while light brown wispy clouds indicated blowing dust just south of the swirl center. (NOAA/GOES-East)
As the storm continues northeastward, high winds will continue to howl from across the Texas Panhandle, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska to Iowa, southeastern Minnesota and northwestern Missouri through Wednesday night. In this zone, frequent gusts ranging from 50-80 mph are in store with gusts topping 100 mph in some cases, forecasters say. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 120 mph is possible and can easily flip over trucks, cause major property damage and lead to extensive power outages.
The combination of dry brush, dry air and high winds will lead to a heightened wildfire risk over portions of the central and southern Plains. Soil and brush conditions in this area range from abnormally dry to extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. High winds were fanning the flames of several large wildfires in the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas Wednesday afternoon.
Dust from the deserts may be transported hundreds of miles to the northeast by the high winds. In extreme cases, dust can briefly reduce visibility levels to under a few hundred feet. At Garden City, Kansas, the visibility dipped to near zero for a time due to blowing dust Wednesday afternoon. In general, for this event, the airborne dust can make for a hazy appearance to the sky overhead.
The gusty winds can be accompanied by severe thunderstorms as a squall line attempts to develop near and east of I-29 and I-49 over the central Plains from Wednesday afternoon to Wednesday night. A few tornadoes may precede the squall line.
In the wake of the storm, the dramatic see-saw temperature pattern that has become the "norm" during the first half of December will end. Instead, a relatively fast west-to-east flow of air will set up over the northern half of the nation for the balance of the month. The pattern is likely to continue producing opportunities for snow and bring brief episodes of gusty winds as mild Pacific and cold Canadian air change hands. However, rounds of extreme warmth producing temperatures of 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit above average may come to an end in the northern half of the nation, which could also reduce the potential for major tornado outbreaks farther south.
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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.
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