Weekend snow and ice target the Midwest
By
Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Jan 25, 2021 1:02 AM EST
Three of the four NFL teams left standing to reach the Super Bowl have plenty of experience playing in snow – and clearing it.
A one-two punch of storm systems are in store for the Midwest through early week, which will undoubtedly produce travel headaches for those in its path. While the latter of the two storm systems will likely yield higher snow and ice accumulations, the first round of wintry weather has required travelers to remain on alert as well.
With the exception of lake-effect snow in recent days, a majority of the Midwest has observed a quiet stretch of weather to end the week. That quickly came to an end for those in the path of this disturbance on Saturday, as a swath of snow and ice developed across the Plains and spread eastward into the Midwest.
By midday Saturday, travel became tricky as roads became slick and snow covered along Interstate 90 in eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota.
Places like Sioux Falls, South Dakota have had a "mild" January so far, with no subzero days and an overall temperature departure of just over 11 degrees Fahrenheit above average. As of Jan. 22, the city had also received 3.2 inches of snow this month, less than half of the roughly 8 inches in a typical January.
As the storm passed through the Sioux Falls area, 2.0 inches of fresh snow was observed, bumping the monthly total up to 5.2 inches as of January 24.
A similar scenario of snowy conditions spread farther east down I-90 in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa as well. Through Saturday night along this corridor, a swath of 3-6 inches of snow was observed. This includes the Twin Cities, as well as Mankato, Minnesota and Mason City, Iowa.
In the wake of the storm system in Minneapolis, 5.3 inches of snow was reported at the airport on Saturday. Many locales in the metro Twin Cities area reported between 3 and 6 inches of snow.
Through the day on Sunday, the storm continued to progress eastward across the Midwest, spreading snow across Wisconsin, Michigan and the northernmost parts of Illinois before eventually fizzling out Sunday evening.
According to The National Weather Service, the snowy weather in the afternoon led to some tricky travel conditions in cities like Detroit, Michigan and areas between I-94 and M-59.
Composite radar showed snow and ice moving across portions of the Midwest early Sunday morning.
Snow tapered off in Green Bay, Wisconsin around midday Sunday, just a few hours before the kickoff of the NFC Championship game. Around 2 or 3 inches of new snow was reported to have fallen in the Green Bay area by the time it came to an end. Luckily for the players, a tarp will be placed over the field prior to kickoff to mitigate snow accumulation, and the field features heating coils underneath the soil which also limits accumulation on the field. However, some fans may have to deal with snow in the stands if crews don't have enough time to clear it all.
The AFC Championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills will also be held outdoors at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday evening. Both of these teams are accustomed to playing in cold weather, however Mother Nature will likely not bring along the same impactful weather as what is expected farther north in Green Bay.
By Sunday evening, the snow had not yet progressed into Indiana, Ohio or West Virginia. Major accumulations are not expected if the snow does make its way eastward.
This storm system will only be the first snow and ice-maker across the Midwest over the upcoming week or so. Hot on the heels of the weekend storm system, a larger, more potent storm lies on the horizon to start the final week of January.
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
Weekend snow and ice target the Midwest
By Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Jan 25, 2021 1:02 AM EST
Three of the four NFL teams left standing to reach the Super Bowl have plenty of experience playing in snow – and clearing it.
A one-two punch of storm systems are in store for the Midwest through early week, which will undoubtedly produce travel headaches for those in its path. While the latter of the two storm systems will likely yield higher snow and ice accumulations, the first round of wintry weather has required travelers to remain on alert as well.
With the exception of lake-effect snow in recent days, a majority of the Midwest has observed a quiet stretch of weather to end the week. That quickly came to an end for those in the path of this disturbance on Saturday, as a swath of snow and ice developed across the Plains and spread eastward into the Midwest.
By midday Saturday, travel became tricky as roads became slick and snow covered along Interstate 90 in eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota.
Places like Sioux Falls, South Dakota have had a "mild" January so far, with no subzero days and an overall temperature departure of just over 11 degrees Fahrenheit above average. As of Jan. 22, the city had also received 3.2 inches of snow this month, less than half of the roughly 8 inches in a typical January.
As the storm passed through the Sioux Falls area, 2.0 inches of fresh snow was observed, bumping the monthly total up to 5.2 inches as of January 24.
A similar scenario of snowy conditions spread farther east down I-90 in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa as well. Through Saturday night along this corridor, a swath of 3-6 inches of snow was observed. This includes the Twin Cities, as well as Mankato, Minnesota and Mason City, Iowa.
In the wake of the storm system in Minneapolis, 5.3 inches of snow was reported at the airport on Saturday. Many locales in the metro Twin Cities area reported between 3 and 6 inches of snow.
Through the day on Sunday, the storm continued to progress eastward across the Midwest, spreading snow across Wisconsin, Michigan and the northernmost parts of Illinois before eventually fizzling out Sunday evening.
According to The National Weather Service, the snowy weather in the afternoon led to some tricky travel conditions in cities like Detroit, Michigan and areas between I-94 and M-59.
Composite radar showed snow and ice moving across portions of the Midwest early Sunday morning.
Snow tapered off in Green Bay, Wisconsin around midday Sunday, just a few hours before the kickoff of the NFC Championship game. Around 2 or 3 inches of new snow was reported to have fallen in the Green Bay area by the time it came to an end. Luckily for the players, a tarp will be placed over the field prior to kickoff to mitigate snow accumulation, and the field features heating coils underneath the soil which also limits accumulation on the field. However, some fans may have to deal with snow in the stands if crews don't have enough time to clear it all.
The AFC Championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills will also be held outdoors at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday evening. Both of these teams are accustomed to playing in cold weather, however Mother Nature will likely not bring along the same impactful weather as what is expected farther north in Green Bay.
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By Sunday evening, the snow had not yet progressed into Indiana, Ohio or West Virginia. Major accumulations are not expected if the snow does make its way eastward.
This storm system will only be the first snow and ice-maker across the Midwest over the upcoming week or so. Hot on the heels of the weekend storm system, a larger, more potent storm lies on the horizon to start the final week of January.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo