Whiteouts create dangerous travel as blizzard blasts central US
By
Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 24, 2020 6:38 PM EDT
Blizzardlike conditions across the North Central U.S. led to whiteout conditions on Dec. 23, with extremely low visibility and warnings for drivers to stay off the roads.
Winter was in full force across the central U.S. on Wednesday, just two days after the official start of the new season, as a blizzard lashed the region paired with dangerously low temperatures.
A far-reaching storm system emerged from the Rockies early Wednesday and evolved into an all-out blizzard across a swath of the Plains stretching from Colorado through Minnesota.
Travel was virtually impossible amid the windy and snowy weather with near-whiteout conditions limiting visibility to near-zero along major highways across the region. This included a section of Interstate 94 in Minnesota where Minnesota State Patrol Sargent, Jesse Grabow was on the scene of several accidents.
Visibility was near-zero on Interstate 94 in northwestern Minnesota on Wednesday morning due to blowing snow. (Twitter/@MSPPIO_NW)
“No travel [is] advised due to blowing snow and limited visibility,” the Minnesota Department of Transportation said on Twitter. “Visibility is very poor, which is why travel is not advised.”
Several crashes have been reported on Interstate 94 across Minnesota, leading to sections of the highway being shut down, according to Minnesota State Patrol.
Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency services amid the storm, CBS Minnesota reported. The National Guard is reportedly opening its armory in Fairmont, Minnesota, in coordination with Martin County Sheriff's Office to provide shelter for stranded motorists.
The term blizzard can be misinterpreted as a severe winter storm, but for a storm to be classified as a blizzard, specific weather conditions must be observed for an extended period of time.
Wind is a crucial factor in determining if a storm is a blizzard. Sustained winds must be at least 35 mph or higher for three consecutive hours. During that three-hour period, heavy or blowing snow must also reduce visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile.
Several weather stations from eastern Nebraska through eastern North Dakota and into Minnesota met these criteria, confirming the storm’s status as a blizzard.
Snowfall accumulation was not significant, generally ranging from 4 to 8 inches across the region, but a few spots managed to measure near a foot where the heaviest snow fell.
Wind gusts frequently gusted over 60 mph from Colorado to Minnesota, but some of the most extreme winds were clocked over the higher elevations of the Colorado Rockies early on Wednesday.
Pikes Peak, an ultra-prominent mountain near Colorado Springs, Colorado, measured one of the highest wind gusts associated with the storm, topping out at 95 mph. Hurricane-force wind gusts also whipped across parts of the Plains, including an 80-mph gust in Rapid City, South Dakota.
The biting winds from the blizzard conditions resulted in exceptionally low AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures across the region.
“[It’s] been a while since I’ve felt wind chill like this,” Grabow said while on patrol Wednesday.
Grand Forks, North Dakota, an area where blizzard conditions were reported, observed an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature of minus 40 F around midday Wednesday. In these extremely cold conditions, frostbite can occur to exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature plummeted in Minneapolis, dropping like a rock from around 50 F on Wednesday morning to below 0 F by the early afternoon when the blowing snow arrived. By Thursday morning, the AccuWeather Realfeel Temperature in the city was flirting with minus 30.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Frigid Arctic air will settle in across the region in the wake of the system as it progresses eastward through the balance of the week.
"Plunging temperatures from parts of the Plains to the Upper Midwest will create a quick freeze-up so that road conditions transition from slushy to snow-covered and icy," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
As the storm system progresses eastward, it will eventually spread wind-whipped rain and snow over part of the eastern U.S. into Friday, followed by a surge of chilly air that will chill residents through the weekend after Christmas.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Whiteouts create dangerous travel as blizzard blasts central US
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 24, 2020 6:38 PM EDT
Blizzardlike conditions across the North Central U.S. led to whiteout conditions on Dec. 23, with extremely low visibility and warnings for drivers to stay off the roads.
Winter was in full force across the central U.S. on Wednesday, just two days after the official start of the new season, as a blizzard lashed the region paired with dangerously low temperatures.
A far-reaching storm system emerged from the Rockies early Wednesday and evolved into an all-out blizzard across a swath of the Plains stretching from Colorado through Minnesota.
Travel was virtually impossible amid the windy and snowy weather with near-whiteout conditions limiting visibility to near-zero along major highways across the region. This included a section of Interstate 94 in Minnesota where Minnesota State Patrol Sargent, Jesse Grabow was on the scene of several accidents.
Visibility was near-zero on Interstate 94 in northwestern Minnesota on Wednesday morning due to blowing snow. (Twitter/@MSPPIO_NW)
“No travel [is] advised due to blowing snow and limited visibility,” the Minnesota Department of Transportation said on Twitter. “Visibility is very poor, which is why travel is not advised.”
Several crashes have been reported on Interstate 94 across Minnesota, leading to sections of the highway being shut down, according to Minnesota State Patrol.
Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency services amid the storm, CBS Minnesota reported. The National Guard is reportedly opening its armory in Fairmont, Minnesota, in coordination with Martin County Sheriff's Office to provide shelter for stranded motorists.
The term blizzard can be misinterpreted as a severe winter storm, but for a storm to be classified as a blizzard, specific weather conditions must be observed for an extended period of time.
Wind is a crucial factor in determining if a storm is a blizzard. Sustained winds must be at least 35 mph or higher for three consecutive hours. During that three-hour period, heavy or blowing snow must also reduce visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile.
Several weather stations from eastern Nebraska through eastern North Dakota and into Minnesota met these criteria, confirming the storm’s status as a blizzard.
Snowfall accumulation was not significant, generally ranging from 4 to 8 inches across the region, but a few spots managed to measure near a foot where the heaviest snow fell.
Wind gusts frequently gusted over 60 mph from Colorado to Minnesota, but some of the most extreme winds were clocked over the higher elevations of the Colorado Rockies early on Wednesday.
Pikes Peak, an ultra-prominent mountain near Colorado Springs, Colorado, measured one of the highest wind gusts associated with the storm, topping out at 95 mph. Hurricane-force wind gusts also whipped across parts of the Plains, including an 80-mph gust in Rapid City, South Dakota.
The biting winds from the blizzard conditions resulted in exceptionally low AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures across the region.
“[It’s] been a while since I’ve felt wind chill like this,” Grabow said while on patrol Wednesday.
Grand Forks, North Dakota, an area where blizzard conditions were reported, observed an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature of minus 40 F around midday Wednesday. In these extremely cold conditions, frostbite can occur to exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature plummeted in Minneapolis, dropping like a rock from around 50 F on Wednesday morning to below 0 F by the early afternoon when the blowing snow arrived. By Thursday morning, the AccuWeather Realfeel Temperature in the city was flirting with minus 30.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Frigid Arctic air will settle in across the region in the wake of the system as it progresses eastward through the balance of the week.
"Plunging temperatures from parts of the Plains to the Upper Midwest will create a quick freeze-up so that road conditions transition from slushy to snow-covered and icy," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
As the storm system progresses eastward, it will eventually spread wind-whipped rain and snow over part of the eastern U.S. into Friday, followed by a surge of chilly air that will chill residents through the weekend after Christmas.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo