The FOX Forecast Center is tracking a major, long-lasting coast-to-coast storm that will sweep across the country this week, bringing heavy snow, ice, torrential rains and extreme weather to millions of Americans. .
Winter weather is expected to begin Monday in the West and quickly spread across the country, bringing dangerous travel Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for many communities north of Interstate 80.
“As we enter Wednesday morning, that’s when things really start to pick up. Low pressure is ejecting from the Rockies and we’re starting to see the snow belt stretching across the northern part of Nebraska, into Wisconsin,” said FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar.
Unlike a typical dip in the jet stream, where cold air reaches the far south, the flow across the country will allow warm air to be present, keeping the southern level of the United States warm enough and leading to a sharp boundary for who sees what form of precipitation.
Western United States in the lead
The impending winter storm system is expected to be part of an extended period of cold weather in the West.
The FOX forecast center expects 8-12″ of snow to fall on the highest peaks of the Northern Rockies before the impacts of the main storm system begin to be felt.
Starting late Monday, heavy snow will be possible in the western mountains and rain is likely in lower elevations and along the Pacific coast.
Forecast models show the threat of persistent snow for much of the work week, despite the main storm system outflowing to the east.
Accumulations could approach 2 feet in some of the Cascades, and snowfall gauges could reach several feet in the Rockies.
Although the center of the storm system is rapidly moving eastward, the unstable weather pattern is expected to remain in place through Friday.
Midwest hits the bullseye for big winter weather impacts
The FOX Forecast Center will be watching temperatures closely to determine where the freezing line is.
Communities around the 32 degree mark could see a significant threat of ice accumulation, with those to the north seeing heavy snowfall and those further south seeing only rain.
Based on the latest forecast models, the freezing line appears to extend from Des Moines, Iowa, to New York and parts of New England. With this result, major metros such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit and Cleveland could see an ice threat.
This pattern puts cities such as Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minneapolis, and Green Bay in the coldest zone, and they’ll likely be the recipients of moderate to heavy snowfall.
Due to warm air in place not too far away, communities in the central valleys of Mississippi and Ohio should see only liquid precipitation and possibly a lot. The FOX Forecast Center said 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall in those areas by Thursday.
Due to heavy rains, there is a risk of flooding.
On Tuesday and Wednesday morning, the threat of flash flooding will be centered over parts of northern Kentucky, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and extreme southwestern Ohio.
A larger area will be at risk of flash flooding Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Severe storms are likely on Wednesday as a new storm draws in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes are possible. Heavy rains will mean the threat of flash flooding in the southern Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
The hotspots stretch from northeast Texas to the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
Bad weather could also be an issue on Wednesday.
The FOX Forecast Center says there is a risk of severe weather in West Texas, including the Houston area, across the Mississippi Valley and in parts of the Tennessee Valley.
However, areas at higher risk for severe thunderstorms on Wednesday include parts of northern Louisiana, most of Arkansas, northwestern Mississippi and parts of southwestern Tennessee.
Northeastern Heavy Ice Potential
As the storm system crosses the country, its precipitation shield is expected to begin affecting northeastern states on Wednesday.
Due to the warm air in place, not all precipitation is expected to fall in the frozen variety, but many communities in New York and southern New England could see significant ice accretions.
Generally, ice accumulations of less than a quarter inch are considered a nuisance, but totals that approach half an inch or more can cause widespread problems such as power outages and tree damage. .
“We might see some snow in the interior portions of the northeast, but it won’t be good enough for that I-95 corridor. We are just predicting temperatures that are too hot,” Minar said.
Along with the threat of rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain, the storm system will also help bring temperatures below average for millions of people in the northern part of the country.
New York Post
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