- The snowstorm could reach historic levels in some areas.
- A multi-day outbreak of severe weather is forecast in the central US
- High winds, unusual warmth and drought conditions are combining to bring the threat of wildfires to the Plains.
A wild week of weather is on tap for parts of the northern and central US
Starting Monday, a huge storm will bring blizzard conditions to portions of the northern Plains over the next few days, while also bringing the chance for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to a large chunk of the central US In addition, wildfires are possible across the southern Plains .
The heaviest snow is expected in Montana, Wyoming and especially the Dakotas from late Monday into Wednesday, AccuWeather said.
“A swath of heavy snow is expected to linger and be slow moving, allowing for perhaps 2-3 feet of snow to pile up in some locations before the snow ends,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The snowstorm could reach historic levels in some areas, such as Grand Forks, North Dakota, where the all-time April record for snow is 17 inches, AccuWeather said.
Due to the predicted snow, power outages are likely and “travel will become very difficult to impossible,” said the National Weather Service office in Bismarck, North Dakota. “Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you.”
The news isn’t all bad, however, as western North Dakota could use the moisture. The latest US Drought Monitor map shows the region is abnormally dry or in some form of drought. Northwestern North Dakota is in extreme drought, the second-worst category.
Snow from this storm has already spread into the Northwest, weather.com reported. “Cold temperatures have allowed snow to fall at very low elevations on Monday morning, including in the Portland, Oregon, metro area.”
Severe weather likely in central US
The same system that’s delivering snow to the northern Plains will also bring a multi-day outbreak of severe weather to the central US Through Thursday, at least 18 states could be affected by the outbreak, AccuWeather said.
On Monday, severe thunderstorms are expected from parts of northeast Texas to the Ozarks and mid-South, with the greatest threat expected over parts of far eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas, the Storm Prediction Center said.
“Large to very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes all appear possible,” it said.
HURRICANE FORECAST:CSU forecasters predict another active hurricane season with 19 tropical storms, 9 hurricanes
By Tuesday, the severe storm threat area will expand to include states from Iowa to Texas, where hail, wind and tornadoes are again possible.
“Some of the tornadoes could be strong,” the Storm Prediction Center warned. Cities such as Dallas, Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Des Moines, Iowa, could all see severe weather on Tuesday.
The tornado threat will extend into Wednesday, with another widespread area at risk of severe storms all the way from Illinois to Louisiana, including cities like Indianapolis, Memphis, and St. Louis.
Along with the threat of severe storms, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are likely from the Ohio Valley into the lower Mississippi Valley from the storm, weather.com said. Some areas could see more than 3 inches of rainfall, potentially leading to flash flooding.
Wildfire threat in the Plains
High winds, unusual warmth and drought conditions are combining to bring the threat of wildfires to much of the central and southern Plains.
There is an extreme risk of fires for parts of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and into southern Kansas on Tuesday due to the potential for 30 to 40 mph sustained winds, 50+ mph gusts and unusually warm and dry conditions, the National Weather Service said.
“A dangerous fire weather outbreak is possible as a result,” it said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism