Two major storms have hit the central and eastern United States this week, and a third is rampaging east. A developing tempest that brought blizzard conditions to the Pacific Northwest is unleashing heavy snow, strong winds and severe thunderstorms as it treks from the southern Plains into the Great Lakes through Saturday.
This storm bears some striking similarities to the one that just hit, with subtle differences in timing and placement of heavy precipitation. It’s also set to become a “bomb cyclone,” because of its rapid rate of strengthening as it jets from Arkansas on Friday morning to just north of Detroit 24 hours later.
Once again, its cold side will feature a swath of wind-swept heavy snow in parts of the Plains and Upper Midwest, while the warm side of the system will bring damaging winds and tornadoes to the Deep South and the Southeast. Winter weather alerts stretch from the Mountain West to the eastern Great Lakes, affecting nearly 60 million people.
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Along the East Coast, more gusty downpours will fall in flood-prone areas.
Most of the country was under some kind of weather alert Friday morning, many for hazards posed by cold and high winds.
A major snowstorm is underway in Chicago with at least 8 inches possible, although warmer air right along the lake could cut into amounts. As winds crank up Friday night, gusting to 50 mph, blizzard conditions are possible, according to the National Weather Service. This is also true between Friday morning and night for many locations in northern Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, northern Indiana and Michigan.
For much of Iowa, including Des Moines, a blizzard warning has been posted and the National Weather Service is warning of a “life-threatening” combination of heavy snow, strong winds and bitter cold. “Travel will be very difficult this morning and may be impossible in some rural areas Friday afternoon and Friday night,” the Weather Service wrote.
On the storm’s warm side, another round of wintertime severe weather has begun and parts of the south were under a Level 3 out of 5 “enhanced risk” of dangerous thunderstorms Friday. A tornado watch was in effect for northeast Louisiana, eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi and southwest Tennessee, including Memphis, until 11 a.m. Central time.
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It follows the storm that produced 41 tornado reports from the Florida Panhandle and southeast Alabama to southern Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday. The strongest was an EF3 (on the 0-to-5 Enhanced Fujita scale for tornado intensity) in Panama City, Fla., that destroyed structures with winds between 136 and 165 mph. That made it the strongest tornado to strike Bay County, Fla., since 1967.
Heavy rains and strong winds will once again work up the Eastern Seaboard. It has been a record wet start to the winter in Washington, which has received nearly 10 inches of rain since Dec. 1. Other locations along the East Coast have received even more.
“A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain fell Tuesday night into Wednesday morning combined with rapid snowmelt,” wrote the Weather Service office in Boston. “This resulted in numerous rivers and streams going into flood or expected to go into flood within 24 hours from the residual runoff. In addition … another widespread 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected Friday night into early Saturday.”
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Along the coast, after a historic surge of ocean water from the last storm, yet another round of serious coastal flooding is possible from the shores of the Mid-Atlantic to New England. Portland, Maine, which recorded its third-highest water level on record early Wednesday, is forecast to see a comparably high tide on Saturday.
Share this articleShareIn the storm’s wake, the coldest weather of the season will invade much of the central states and eventually the East Coast between the weekend and the middle of next week.
Here’s our city-by-city forecast.
The wintry side of the storm
As the storm system strengthens, it is drawing a tongue of tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. That moisture swirls north and west around the low-pressure center, falling in the zone of cold air. That will deposit a strip of heavy snow. Strong winds gusting around 35 to 45 mph could produce whiteout conditions.
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- Kansas City, Mo: A little mixed precipitation and light snow fell Thursday night and Friday morning. It is predicted become all snow on Friday as temperatures plunge into the teens amid wind gusts to around 40 mph. Wind chill warning goes into effect Friday evening and lasts through Tuesday.
- St. Louis: Rain showers turn to snow showers Friday as temperatures fall from the upper 40s to near 30. A wind advisory with gusts up to 50 mph. Any snow ends Friday night as temperatures plummet into the teens. Little or no snow accumulation.
- Omaha: Winter storm warning and wind chill warning with several inches having fallen through Friday morning and 4 to 6 more inches possible. Highs in the single digits on Friday, with lows below zero dropping to as low as minus-17 on Sunday night. Winds gusting up to 35 mph.
- Des Moines: Blizzard warning. Snow with 6 to 11 inches possible. Periods of heavy snow Thursday night dropped several inches. Winds up to 45 mph at times causing blowing snow and reduced visibility. Temperatures crashing Friday, with below zero highs Sunday and Monday, plus lows around minus-17 Saturday night.
- Chicago: Winter storm warning. Rain changed to snow Friday morning with temperatures forecast to drop into the 20s late Friday. About 8 inches of accumulation is possible. Winds gusting to 45 mph. Snow eases Saturday, but it becomes frigid Saturday night into early next week.
- Milwaukee: Winter storm warning for 6 to 11 inches snow away from the lakeshore and possible blizzard conditions with winds gusting 35 to 45 mph. Snow Friday with early highs in the mid-30s. Then temperatures drop into the 20s and snow predominates. Light snow lingers through Saturday night as temperatures plummet to near zero.
- Detroit: Winter weather advisory, with 1 to 4 inches expected. Mixed precipitation Friday and Friday night becoming all snow by Saturday. Windy with gusts up to 50 mph. Temperatures drop into the teens for Saturday night and Sunday, with single digits in nights following.
- Indianapolis: Wind advisory. Rain on Friday, mixing with snow overnight and becoming all snow Saturday before tapering off. About 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible before modest amounts of snow. Temperatures plummet through the weekend, with highs only near 10 on Sunday.
Severe thunderstorm risks in the South
A tendril of instability — warm, humid air containing storm fuel — moves north out of the Gulf of Mexico. As the parent upper-air disturbance charges through, it will drag a jet stream dip with it. That will induce a change of wind speed and/or direction with height, known as wind shear, that will encourage some thunderstorms to rotate.
On Thursday night, severe storms erupted across Arkansas, causing dozens of reports of wind damage and several tornado warnings, including for Little Rock.
On Friday, cities including Tupelo, Miss., and Florence, Ala., are in the Level 3 zone for greatest severe weather potential. A Level 2 out of 5 risk stretches from just north of New Orleans toward Raleigh. Other cities in the Level 2 risk zone include Birmingham and Mobile, Ala., Charleston, S.C., Tallahassee, Atlanta and Charlotte.
It may be that the highest risk of severe storms Friday is through midday. Thereafter, storms increasingly run into air that’s less favorable for intense activity. Severe weather may focus more toward the Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon and be more scattered in other areas.
East Coast rain, strong winds and coastal flooding
This system won’t have quite as much moisture to work with for the East Coast, and the winds won’t be quite as bad. Still, however, it will be disruptive. Flood watches run from Virginia to around Boston and much of the region is also under a wind advisory. The combination of saturated soils and strong winds may cause trees to fall and increase the threat of power outages.
- Washington: A half-inch to an inch of rain Friday night into early Saturday, with a flood watch in effect. Wind advisory on Saturday for gusts of 40 to 50 mph.
- Philadelphia: Around an inch of rain, beginning Friday night, with a flood watch and coastal flood warning in effect. Wind advisory for winds gusting 40 to 50 mph.
- New York: An inch to an inch and a half of rain, beginning early Saturday. Wind advisory for winds gusting near 50 mph.
- Boston: 1 to 2 inches of rain Saturday. Wind advisory for winds gusting to 55 mph. Coastal flooding could also be a concern. High wind watch and coastal flood watch in effect.
Jason Samenow contributed to this report.
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