WeatherFanatics: Mother's Day Storm to Hit Rockies, Plains With Snow and Rain

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Mother's Day Storm to Hit Rockies, Plains With Snow and Rain

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

May 8,2014; 9:13PM,EDT

Soon after a storm leaves the Central states, a new and potent storm will swing from the northern Rockies to the Plains starting on Mother's Day.
The storm will bring temperature extremes over the Plains and Rockies. The temperature contrast will contribute not only a zone of heavy precipitation, but also all forms of precipitation ranging from rain and thunderstorms to snow.

There is the potential for thunderstorms to erupt and become severe from portions of northwest Texas to central Oklahoma, and central and eastern Kansas on Sunday. This area is likely to be the intersection of dry air from the southwest, building heat and moisture to the southeast and chilly air to the northwest.
A zone of drenching rain is likely to develop just north and west of the thunderstorm area in the cooler air.
Meanwhile, gusty winds will kick up dust and raise the wildfire danger south of the storm track over the deserts and passes from Southern California to New Mexico.
Farther north, snow has the potential to be heavier and more far-reaching when compared to the storm that delivered snow to part of the Rockies and High Plains Wednesday night and Thursday.
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Snow can fall from portions of Montana to Colorado and Utah Sunday. The snow will not be limited to the high country.

After temperatures surge to near 70 Friday and Saturday around Denver, a shift in winds will cause temperatures to plummet on Sunday with the potential for accumulating snow by Sunday night.
Enough snow can fall to create slushy and slow travel over the passes along I-70 in Colorado and I-80 in Wyoming Sunday night into Monday.
Downtown Denver narrowly missed out on snow on Wednesday night and Thursday with the most recent storm with chilly rain falling for a time. Snow fell on the foothills and mountains in central Colorado to the Nebraska Panhandle and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Blowing and drifting snow occurred in parts of western Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota.
As the storm rolls out to the northeast Monday and Tuesday, wet snow could mix in over part of the upper Great Lakes region at the tail end.
On a positive note, the storm can bring rainfall to some drought areas of the southern and central Plains Sunday to Monday. However, the rainfall will be spotty in the neediest areas of the region from the Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado.