Major winter storms pack the Plains with snow this week
- A major winter storm is rolling from the Rockies and Plains into the Great Lakes and Northeast.
- Heavy snow and blizzards are possible in parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest.
- Sleet and ice accumulation are expected in the Great Lakes and Northeast.
- This will make travel difficult, if not impossible, in some areas.
Winter Storm Olive’s cross-country journey is still underway, but its worst impacts are still to come as it spreads heavy snow and blizzards across the Rockies, Plains and upper Midwest, and snow and ice from the Great Lakes to parts of the Northeast. .
Olive could be one of the heaviest snowstorms in years for parts of the upper Midwest, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, with the National Weather Service calling it a “historic winter storm” for their area.
Here’s the latest information on where Olive is now and where he’s headed next.
Latest status and alerts
Snow from Olive is now continuing to fall in the Rocky Mountains, upper Midwest and northern Plains, but this is just the beginning stages of the storm.
The National Weather Service has posted blizzard warnings for parts of six states in the Rocky Mountains and northern Plains, as shown in the map below.
Various winter storm warnings, winter storm watches and winter weather warnings are also in effect from the Rocky Mountains to the upper Midwest, the Great Lakes, northern New York and New England.
(is reading: Here’s why winter olives are so big)
Some blizzard and winter storm warnings are in place for olives in areas where significant to severe impacts from the storm are expected, according to NOAA’s Winter Storm Severity Index. Heavy snow and strong winds could make for bleak conditions and extremely dangerous or impossible travel in these areas, especially Wednesday through Thursday.
timing
Snow may continue to fall in some of these areas for several days. Here is our latest forecast timing.
– Until Tuesday night: Snow is widespread in the central Rocky Mountains and high desert terrain of the Southwest. Snow is also common in the northern Plains and western Great Lakes.
Tuesday forecast
(Areas of rain, snow, sleet, and mixed precipitation are shown by color lines.)
– Wednesday and Wednesday night: Snow and strong winds intensify in the Rocky Mountains, Northern Plains and upper Midwest with blizzard conditions possible. Snow spreads into the interior of the Northeast and New England and intensifies late. Frost and ice develop from the Missouri Valley to the southern Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast.
Wednesday forecast
(Areas of rain, snow, sleet, and mixed precipitation are shown by color lines.)
– Thursday and Thursday night: The snow, along with some sleet and freezing rain, will taper off in the western Great Lakes region but persist in parts of New York and New England before moving in early Friday morning.
(maps: Daily rain/snow forecast for the United States for 7 days)
Thursday forecast
(Areas of rain, snow, sleet, and mixed precipitation are shown by color lines.)
How much snow and ice?
Parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest could pick up at least a foot of snow. Ice accumulation is also a concern for others from the Midwest to the Northeast.
Click here for more details on how much snow and ice can occur and where.
Snowfall forecast
(Note that this forecast includes a separate light snow event that will cover areas near the Canadian border from the northern Great Lakes into northern New England through Tuesday night. However, the majority of the snowfall on the map above will occur with winter storm Zeyton.)
Wind will add to the effects
Strong winds and heavy snow will combine to produce blizzard conditions in parts of the northern Plains from late Tuesday through early Thursday.
Travel could become extremely difficult, if not impossible, across areas from Wyoming to South Dakota, central and southern Minnesota, and into northern Wisconsin. Roads, including highways, may become impassable or may be closed, especially in rural areas.
The bitter cold air that flows during a snowstorm can be life-threatening to those stranded on the roads.
we Strongly Urge those with travel plans in these areas to either complete them before the storm or postpone them until after the storm is over.
Some power outages and falling tree or tree branches can also be caused by the weight of snow combined with the force of strong winds.
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