Star Staff Reports
Winter storm to track from the central Plains to Mid-Mississippi Valley
today through tonight before impacting the southern Mid-Atlantic on
Wednesday with accumulating snow and areas of sleet/freezing rain…
…Record cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills to spill
further southward into the Plains with below average temperatures spanning
across much of the East…
…Next round of mountain snow and lower elevation rain expected to affect
the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies Wednesday into Thursday…
A large pool of Arctic air continues to advance farther south into the
mid-section of the country, especially through the Lonestar State.
Temperatures are extremely cold behind the front and ahead of a 1050 mb
high pressure dominating the central part of the country. Temperatures as
of this afternoon are below zero as far south as Oklahoma and the 20s in
northern Texas. In addition to the cold, snowfall is ongoing across the
Plains and will spread eastward through the day for the Tennessee and Ohio
Valleys. There is a high chance of seeing 4 to 8 inches, with some locally
higher amounts. A swath of sleet/freezing rain can also be expected across
the southern portion of these states from this afternoon into tonight.
This will result in difficult travel conidtions, with moderate to major
impacts from a combination of snow and ice. Meanwhile, accumulating
snowfall will continue to spread eastward across the southern Appalachians
and Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday. Areas from northern North Carolina to the
Delmarva can expect snowfall potential to exceed 6 inches with locally
higher amounts possible. On the southern end of the snowfall in North
Carolina, there is a higher chance for locally significant ice
accumulations that could result in dangerous travel conditions. Meanwhile,
lake-effect snow will once again impact the Snow Belt region downwind from
the Great Lakes.
With the frigid airmass settling into most of the central and eastern
U.S., record cold temperatures are likely to be set. The southern U.S.
will have high temperatures in the 30s and 40s, and the Plains will have
high temperatures in the low single digits to the teens. Low temperatures
across the northern Plains will be frigidly cold in the -20s and -30s, and
the southern Plains and Ohio and Tennessee Valleys will see low
temperatures in the single digits and approach zero. The Gulf Coast may
approach low temperature values in the 20s. Gusty winds will make it feel
as cold as -30 to even -60 across the northern Plains. The southern Plains
could see windchill temperatures as low as the -20s. Extreme Cold Warnings
and Cold Weather Advisories are currently span across the northern Plains
and upper Midwest down to central Texas to address these frigid
temperatures. Be sure to dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and
gloves if you must go outside!
Elsewhere, mountain snow and light lower elevation snow continues across
the northern Rockies through the remainder of today. Then, by late
Wednesday and early Thursday, the next Pacific storm system enters the
Northwest. High elevation snow and high winds are possible with this area
of low pressure. The western to central Gulf Coast may also see 2-3 inches
of rainfall as a cold front sweeps through the area. Some isolated flash
flooding and strong, gusty winds may occur today as the Weather Prediction
Center has a Marginal Risk for Excessive Rainfall, and the Storm
Prediction Center has a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms.
