Winter storm likely across parts of US as arctic air to drive dip in temperatures
Arctic air will bring Monday a sudden and drastic dip in temperatures along with “a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain” to many parts of the United States, including the Plains, Midwest and Northeast, areas that saw warm temperatures till Sunday, forecasters have warned.
A strong high-pressure system will spread the Arctic Air southwards and eastwards, causing the mercury to drop 30 to 40 degrees below normal Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Weather Prediction Center was quoted as saying CNN, “Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average over the northern tier states Monday morning.”
Another big blast of Arctic air heading our way this week! Are you ready for it? #ColoradoSprings #cowx pic.twitter.com/1BLCLX1EJy
— Alan Rose (@AlanRoseWX) February 21, 2022
Cities are forecast to witness a sharp drop in temperature in a time span as short as 24-48 hours. Denver is expected to go from 60 degrees on Sunday to 15 degrees on Tuesday, while Rapid City in South Dakota will slip from 50 degrees to 0 degrees in the same period. Fargo, North Dakota is also predicted to record -2 degrees Monday, according to Fox Weather.
Amarillo, Texas, which will see warm and breezy conditions till Monday, is expected to see an over 30-degree drop in 24 hours. Some light snow is possible between Tuesday and Thursday, and the wind chills on Wednesday and Thursday morning will likely reduce the temperature to single digits. Wind chills are also anticipated in Omaha through the week, becoming the primary cause of concern along the South Dakota state line. Light snow is probable in northern Nebraska and Iowa.
Monday will see a risk for wildfires across the entire Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. Winds are expected to be a bit stronger, with gusts up to 40 mph possible across the western Panhandles. #phwx #TXwx #OKwx pic.twitter.com/KIpHhXONhW
— NWS Amarillo (@NWSAmarillo) February 21, 2022
Bundle up those kids!
Dangerous wind chills are anticipated this week, especially when students are headed to school each morning. pic.twitter.com/Di9ZlroCYQ
— NWS Omaha (@NWSOmaha) February 21, 2022
The snow will begin from the upper Midwest on Sunday night and continue through Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Twin Cities. Minnesota said. “Snow may be heavy at times with significant accumulations across parts of the Upper Midwest,” NWS tweeted. Tuesday will also see sleet, rain and freezing rain in the Great Lakes region and 6 inches of snow in the northern Plains and Midwest. In Nashville, the NWS office said multi-day rains will bring concerns about flooding.
[3:50pm 2/20] It sure looks nasty on US-2 in #HungryHorse Those showers are moving over the arctic air, causing periods of heavy snow. This is expected to pers through early this evening. #mtwx pic.twitter.com/x2Q1W3Bt60
— NWS Missoula (@NWSMissoula) February 20, 2022
A storm system will drop into southwest California on Tuesday and Wednesday and most areas are likely to receive some rain. A wind advisory has been issued for the Antelope Valley as west winds will gust up to 50 mph Monday into Tuesday. Blowing dust could restrict visibilities to one-quarter mile or less.
Coldest storm of this winter season so far on track to bring snow/icy road conditions to many low elevation passes across #Socal. Winter Weather Advisory issued for mtns of LA, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties from 6 am Tue-noon Wed. #LAWeather #cawx #Socal
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 21, 2022
Residents of Rapid City have been advised the local NWS office to wear layers and carry a winter survival kit when travelling. Over 30 million people are under flood watches from Kansas to Vermont, according to The Washington Post, while ice jams are possible in the interior Northeast.