Multiple rounds of April snow will blanket parts of the Midwest and Northeast while strong winds continue to produce dangerous conditions for fire growth in parts of the Plains the next few days.
(MORE: Large Grass Fires Flare Up in Oklahoma)
With a southward dip in the jet stream dominating eastern North America, waves of cold air from Canada will continue to surge into the eastern states. The air has been cold enough to deposit snow in the Midwest and Northeast since last weekend, including Winter Storm Ursula Monday.
(MORE: How Long Will the Cold Last?)
Current Radar and Conditions
Here are the forecast details on the snow and wind into this weekend.
Current Snowmaker
Thus far, snowfall totals in the northern Great Lakes have been relatively light, although a few locations have surpassed the 6-inch mark. As much as 12.3 inches was reported near Negaunee, Michigan as of very early Thursday morning. Just under 9 inches of snow had piled up in Marquette, Michigan Wednesday.Low pressure will slide from southern Ontario into the Great Lakes Thursday, as another wave of low pressure rides the frontal system northward into Quebec by Friday, pulling down wrapping moisture into another pulse of cold air.
Here is a rundown of the snow and wind impacts.
Snow Timing
- Thursday: Snow lingers in Michigan, and may also dust parts of northern and central Minnesota from a separate disturbance. Any snow in northern Maine should change to rain. Rain showers may mix with or change to snow showers by Thursday night in parts of the Appalachians and Upstate New York.
- Accumulations: The best chance for plowable snowfall through Thursday is over northeastern Wisconsin, northern Lower Michigan and parts of the U.P., where an additional 2 to 4 inches is possible. Otherwise, additional amounts less than 2 inches are expected from northern Minnesota to parts of Lower Michigan and northern New England.
Forecast Snowfall Through Thursday
- Thursday: Gusty northwest winds will continue to blast through the Plains with gusts over 30 mph at times, from the Dakotas to Oklahoma.
- Fire Danger: Strong winds and low relative humidity in the Plains will create dangerous conditions for the rapid spread of wildfires, particularly from portions of Oklahoma, into Kansas, Nebraska and western Missouri. The threat for wildfires may continue into Friday across parts of the central Plains.
Current Red Flag Warnings and Winds
On Wednesday, trees and power lines were downed in portions of the Midwest and a semi truck was blown over on Interstate 64 near Cynthiana, Indiana.
More Rounds of Snow Ahead
Disturbances rotating through the southward dip in the jet stream across the East will have just enough moisture to produce additional bouts of snow into this weekend. Gusty winds will accompany these fast-moving systems, as well.Parts of the upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Appalachians and Northeast could all see snow at times in the days ahead. That said, any potential accumulations should be light in most areas. West Virginia and western Maryland will likely to see the greatest snowfall totals through Friday night, with up to a foot of snow possible.
(FORECAST: Chicago | Cincinnati | Cleveland)
We are also watching for the potential of a low pressure system to form off the Northeast coast this weekend. If a significant slug of moisture from that low overlaps with the cold air, then we could see a more concentrated area of accumulating snow in some areas. For now, this seems most possible for parts of eastern New England, particularly the state of Maine.
(FORECAST: Boston | Pittsburgh | Syracuse)
Here are forecast maps showing where we could see snow from Thursday through Sunday.
Thursday's Forecast
Friday's Forecast
Saturday's Forecast
Sunday's Forecast
No comments:
Post a Comment