WeatherFanatics: Snow to Blanket Rockies, Northern Plains

Monday, March 10, 2014

Snow to Blanket Rockies, Northern Plains

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

March 10,2014; 6:24PM,EDT

The same system responsible for dumping inches of rain along the Northwest coast over the weekend is expected to deliver snow to the Rockies and Plains for the start of this week.
Although the heaviest snow is forecast to fall over the mountains, accumulations may still lead to some travel delays in the lower elevations from Colorado to Montana and into Iowa through Tuesday.
This includes the cities of Billings and Missoula, Mont.; Cheyenne and Casper, Wyo.; Rapid City, S.D., Denver, Colo.; and Omaha, Neb.

Snow will begin in Idaho and Montana on Monday before expanding across the rest of the region for Tuesday as cold air sinks into the Plains.
While snow may begin to accumulate on elevated and grassy surfaces shortly after the onset, it will take longer to stick on roadways due to the recent record warmth.
However, once the snow does start to accumulate on roads it can lead to slick conditions, slowing traffic and causing longer commutes.
RELATED:
Winter Weather Center
Interactive Radar
Five Animals in Danger Due to Changing Climates
Not only will this snow raise the risk of travel delays, but also avalanches.
The snowpack in the mountains has undergone weakening over the past several days due to the recent snow and milder weather. Additional weight on this snow can trigger avalanches in the northern Rockies.
Snow will taper off on Tuesday night as the system tracks eastward, bringing the threat of snow to the Northeast for Wednesday.

On Social Media

AccuWeather Updates