By: Chris Dolce
Published: January 16,2014
(MORE: What is an Alberta Clipper?)
On Tuesday, the first in this parade of clipper systems brought significant accumulating snow to parts of the Upper Midwest. We saw a few amounts in excess of 10 inches in central Wisconsin, with 11 inches reported at Oconto, Wis. Lighter amounts fell over parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Into this weekend, we are tracking a few more of these Alberta clippers, including one that is producing blizzard conditions.
Clipper Number 2: Thursday Through Friday
Clipper 2 - Current Radar
Current Winds
Winter Alerts
Thursday
Friday
Light snow will target areas from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Overall, accumulations will be no more than a dusting to a few inches in most spots.
(MAP: 48-Hour Snow Forecast)
While the snowfall is expected to be trifling by Midwest standards, the winds will be anything but gentle. In fact, sustained winds will easily exceed 35 mph, taking the light amounts of new snow, along with snow on the ground from the previous clipper, and whipping it into a blizzard over the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota. Remember, a blizzard is defined by wind speeds and visibility criteria, and not the amount of snow that falls.
As a result, blizzard warnings have been posted by the National Weather Service for those areas.
(MORE: Blizzard Facts and Myths)
For now, the worst driving conditions are expected to stay west (and perhaps also south) of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The fierce winds with this clipper will not only cause blowing snow, but they will also send temperatures plummeting Thursday, causing wind chills to drop well below zero in the Dakotas and western Minnesota.
High winds will extend well outside the area of snow with this clipper, prompting high wind warnings for the rest of the Dakotas as well as most of Nebraska, northern Kansas and western and central Iowa. In these areas, sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 to 60 mph will make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
With fallow farm fields and a lack of snow cover from southern South Dakota into Nebraska and western Iowa, blowing dust may occur at times. Broken tree limbs and power outages could also occur in towns and cities.
(FORECAST: Rapid City, S.D. | Omaha, Neb.)
Like the first clipper, this low-pressure center will turn northeast into eastern Canada by Friday, weakening considerably. Still, light snow showers are possible from the Great Lakes to the southern Appalachians on Friday. Cold air in the wake of this clipper may allow lake-effect snow showers to linger over portions of northern and western Michigan and northern Indiana on Friday as well.
A weak area of low pressure may develop near the Northeast coast as the upper energy from this clipper swings eastward. This could result in some light snow in parts of New England Saturday.
Clippers Number 3 and 4: This Weekend
Saturday's Forecast
Sunday's Forecast
The first clipper will streak quickly from Minnesota to the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and central Appalachians Saturday into Saturday night. This could result in a quick burst of accumulating snow in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. Accumulations will be light in most areas.
(FORECAST: Chicago | Columbus, Ohio | Milwaukee | Minneapolis)j
Following quickly behind Saturday's clipper is yet another one that will affect the northern Great Lakes, Upstate New York and Northern New England with snow on Sunday.
Next week, indications point to the possibility of additional clipper-type systems swinging across the north-central and northeastern U.S.
MORE: Photos of the Early January 2014 Deep Freeze
Washington, D.C.
The low of 6 degrees in Washington, D.C. on
Tuesday, Jan. 7, was the city's coldest since a low of 6 on Feb. 5,
1996. Photo: Steam rises from the tops of buildings at daybreak in
Washington Wednesday, Jan. 8. (AP Photo/David Tulis)
No comments:
Post a Comment