Snow to trigger slippery travel across midwestern US by Monday
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Dec 6, 2019 6:06 PM EDT
After a snowstorm fell on Schenectady, New York, one resident did the obvious thing. She donned a unicorn costume in order to clear the snow on Dec. 2.
Midwesterners may have a tough time deciphering exactly which season we're in this week -- and forecasters stress that rapid weather changes may be dizzying.
Meteorologists are tracking a storm system and an air mass that will be major players in the weather whiplash expected across the region.
A swath of snow, and a rapid freeze-up associated with a blast of Arctic air, have the potential to hinder travel and shut down schools over parts of the Midwest early this week.
A storm will track from the central Plains Monday to the eastern Great Lakes on Tuesday.
At this time, AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate a swath of moderate to heavy snow to sweep from parts of the Dakotas to central and southern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
Given the storm's anticipated track, cities such as Minneapolis; Eau Claire and Wausau, Wisconsin; and Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; are likely to get enough snow to shovel and plow.
However, light snow is likely to fall over a more extensive area.
While the light snow itself would not typically cause a huge problem, it is the small amount of snow that falls, partially melts and causes roads and sidewalks to turn into a sheet of ice as frigid air pours in.
Cities that could receive enough snow to lightly coat roads include Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Milwaukee; Chicago; South Bend, Indiana; and Lansing, Michigan.
Rainfall with the storm over the Central states will generally be unremarkable, but problems are in store after the rain ends.
"In some areas, winds may not have long enough to dry off roads and sidewalks before below-freezing air arrives behind the storm," Brian Wimer, AccuWeather winter weather expert, said.
Don't be fooled by a taste of spring
On the southern side of the storm, a surge of warmth will take hold Sunday and Monday.
Both days, temperatures will surge into the upper 40s to near 50 in the lower Great Lakes and the 50s and 60s.
Rain will accompany the warmup on Sunday night and Monday from southern Michigan to western Tennessee, and will help many roads and sidewalks in northern locations to retain some warmth, helping to melt some of the falling snow.
But as colder air sweeps in like a rocket over the Central states, Monday night through Wednesday, icy conditions are likely to return.
If the rain lingers for a few hours as cold air arrives, the chance of a quick freeze-up will increase substantially in places such as St. Louis, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday.
There's even a remote chance of a flash freeze as far south as Memphis, Tennessee.
The most drastic drop in temperatures is expected from the Great Lakes to eastern Texas by Tuesday.
The drastic difference will bring cold enough air over the Great Lakes to spawn lake-effect snow through the middle of the week.
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in 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
Snow to trigger slippery travel across midwestern US by Monday
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Dec 6, 2019 6:06 PM EDT
After a snowstorm fell on Schenectady, New York, one resident did the obvious thing. She donned a unicorn costume in order to clear the snow on Dec. 2.
Midwesterners may have a tough time deciphering exactly which season we're in this week -- and forecasters stress that rapid weather changes may be dizzying.
Meteorologists are tracking a storm system and an air mass that will be major players in the weather whiplash expected across the region.
A swath of snow, and a rapid freeze-up associated with a blast of Arctic air, have the potential to hinder travel and shut down schools over parts of the Midwest early this week.
A storm will track from the central Plains Monday to the eastern Great Lakes on Tuesday.
At this time, AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate a swath of moderate to heavy snow to sweep from parts of the Dakotas to central and southern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
Given the storm's anticipated track, cities such as Minneapolis; Eau Claire and Wausau, Wisconsin; and Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; are likely to get enough snow to shovel and plow.
However, light snow is likely to fall over a more extensive area.
While the light snow itself would not typically cause a huge problem, it is the small amount of snow that falls, partially melts and causes roads and sidewalks to turn into a sheet of ice as frigid air pours in.
Cities that could receive enough snow to lightly coat roads include Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Milwaukee; Chicago; South Bend, Indiana; and Lansing, Michigan.
Rainfall with the storm over the Central states will generally be unremarkable, but problems are in store after the rain ends.
"In some areas, winds may not have long enough to dry off roads and sidewalks before below-freezing air arrives behind the storm," Brian Wimer, AccuWeather winter weather expert, said.
Related:
Don't be fooled by a taste of spring
On the southern side of the storm, a surge of warmth will take hold Sunday and Monday.
Both days, temperatures will surge into the upper 40s to near 50 in the lower Great Lakes and the 50s and 60s.
Rain will accompany the warmup on Sunday night and Monday from southern Michigan to western Tennessee, and will help many roads and sidewalks in northern locations to retain some warmth, helping to melt some of the falling snow.
But as colder air sweeps in like a rocket over the Central states, Monday night through Wednesday, icy conditions are likely to return.
If the rain lingers for a few hours as cold air arrives, the chance of a quick freeze-up will increase substantially in places such as St. Louis, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday.
There's even a remote chance of a flash freeze as far south as Memphis, Tennessee.
The most drastic drop in temperatures is expected from the Great Lakes to eastern Texas by Tuesday.
The drastic difference will bring cold enough air over the Great Lakes to spawn lake-effect snow through the middle of the week.
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.