Storm dumps snow in Midwest, including Chicago and Indianapolis
Periods of wet snow melted in some areas, but accumulated in others with slippery travel over the Midwest as a quick cold blast occurs the region.
From storms in the Pacific Northwest to snow in the northern Plains to rain in the mid-Atlantic, a wide variety of conditions could affect your travel plans this Wednesday.
A quick visit from Old Man Winter will bring not only much colder air into the Midwest, but snowflakes may be flying enough to cover the ground in parts of the region, trigger travel delays and provide a reminder that the official start of winter is only about a month away, AccuWeather meteorologists advise.
The first 21 days of November were quite warm across the Midwest. In Chicago alone, temperatures have been almost 8 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average.
However, a quick change has swept through the region. At their peak, conditions will feel more like late December or January. As temperatures plunge, so will AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures. RealFeel® temperatures will dip to the the teens and 20s around the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic states on Friday morning.
Accompanying the snappy colder air and gusty winds that add to the chill will be lingering moisture. The combination of the cold air and moisture brought on some snow.
While the biggest snowfall with the storm into Friday will be focused on the Appalachians, where a foot or more of snow can pile up over the ridges, just enough snow fell on parts of the Midwest to cover grassy surfaces and create some slushy spots on area roads. From 1 to 3 inches of snow fell across Chicago on Thursday.
"The danger from a motorist's standpoint is that a quick burst of snow which can occur late week can bring a quick inch or so and a real mess on the roads," AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said.
As the wet snow continues to fall across the Northeast, it will prompt deicing operations at area airports for the first time this season, which can lead to significant airline delays at some of the busiest hubs in the nation and can have ripple effects nationwide.
Gusty winds are another potential trigger for airline delays in the region.
The core of the storm will consolidate over the Northeast from Friday to Saturday, and temperatures will trend upward a bit over the Midwest.
More intrusions of cold air will follow from the northern Plains to the Upper Midwest next week and on through the end of the month. Should the arrival of cold air coincide with a storm, then a swath of accumulating snow may materialize.
There will likely be an active storm track next week from the southern Plains to the Ohio Valley and Northeast that can have significant Thanksgiving travel implications. Should one of those storms strengthen enough, it could throw precipitation into the colder air over the region and result in such a snow event.
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