5 Things to Know About Winter Storm Kayla

Quincy Vagell
Published: January 31,2016



 

Winter Storm Kayla will deliver a swath of snow across the country from the West to the Great Lakes to start the week. In addition to snow, there are several other aspects of the storm that we are watching.
(MORE: Winter Storm Kayla Forecast)
Here are five things you need to know about this storm, including when and where your area can expect the biggest impacts.

1.) Heavy Snowfall Across Several States

Potential Snowfall Through Wednesday

Winter Storm Kayla is now beginning to organize over the Southwest. This is where the heaviest snow will first develop through Monday.
As low pressure develops over the southern High Plains, heavy snow will progress northeast from the Front Range across the central Plains, Upper Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes for Tuesday into Wednesday.
(FORECAST: Denver | Omaha | Green Bay)
Widespread snowfall amounts of 6 inches or more will be common in the locations mentioned above, particularly the mountains in the West and a swath from Kansas and Nebraska into Iowa and Wisconsin.
A blizzard warning was issued Sunday evening for portions of south-central Nebraska and north-central Kansas. A blizzard warning is also in effect in portions of Nevada and California. Parts of four states were under a blizzard watch as of Sunday evening, including eastern Nebraska, southeast South Dakota, western, central and northern Iowa and far southern Minnesota. A larger swath of states from the Southwest into the western Great Lakes was under various winter storm watches, warnings and advisories.

2.) Strong Winds Will Cause Blizzard Conditions

Forecast Sustained Winds Tuesday

With low pressure rapidly intensifying over the Plains and Mississippi Valley, gusty winds will develop around the storm. On the cold side of Winter Storm Kayla, some of the strongest winds will overlap with an area seeing heavy snow across the central Plains and Upper Midwest.
Blizzard conditions or at least near-blizzard conditions are likely from parts of nothwest Kansas and Nebraska into Iowa and southern Minnesota, as winds increase to 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph possible.
(MORE: What is a Blizzard?)
The exact track of the storm system will be crucial in determining the precise parts of these states that stand the greatest risk of experiencing blizzard conditions.
A mentioned before, blizzard warnings and watches have already been issued for parts of the West, Plains and Upper Midwest.

3.) More Like a Spring Storm Than a Winter Storm

Setup Early Next Week

If snow wasn't enough, Winter Storm Kayla is also going to have elements more typical of an early spring storm, than one happening at the beginning of February.
Kayla will take a track from the Plains into the Great Lakes, sometimes referred to as a "lakes cutter." Such an inland track will draw unseasonably warm air north and east across much of the eastern half of the country.
Unlike Winter Storm Jonas, that developed off the East Coast, Kayla will bring rain to areas across the Mid-Atlantic recently buried by the blizzard just about a week ago.
Forecast: Baltimore | New York City | Washington, D.C.

4.) Severe Weather Outbreak, Tornadoes Possible in the South

Severe Weather Setup

Speaking of being like an early spring storm, Kayla will bring warm, humid air northward into parts of the south, including the Ark-La-Tex region, Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley and Southeast.
As the storm system develops over the central states, there will be an increasing threat of severe thunderstorms, including possible tornadoes, on Tuesday.
On Sunday, The Weather Channel Severe Weather Expert, Dr. Greg Forbes, said that "A severe thunderstorm outbreak is likely on Tuesday."
The greatest tornado threat is focused on parts of the Lower-Mississippi Valley. A broader area can expect at least a possibility of severe thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast.
Forecast: Jackson, Mississippi | Memphis, Tennessee | Tuscaloosa
Although the severe thunderstorm threat will tend to lessen with eastward extent, strong winds and perhaps a couple of tornadoes could also affect the lower Appalachians, lower Mid-Atlantic region and Southeast, including Florida, late Tuesday and into the day on Wednesday.

5.) Significant Warm Up Ahead of Kayla

Parts of the southern Plains have already heat up and much of this warmth will spread east, affecting a large chunk of the eastern half of the United States to start the week.
On Friday, temperatures reached the 70s as far north as eastern Kansas, while Oklahoma City tied their daily record high of 76 degrees. By Saturday, parts of Texas surged into the 80s, where San Angelo tied their daily record high of 84 degrees.
Warmer air will surge east and northeast into early this week, bringing spring-like temperatures to the Deep South and Florida. A few record highs have been set in Texas on Sunday as temperatures soared into the 80s and 90s across parts of the Lone Star State.
The Ohio Valley and East Coast will get in on the warm up as well the next few day, where a few record highs could be set in southern New England on Wednesday.
Forecast: Boston, Massachusetts | Hartford, Connecticut
As Kayla swings a cold front across the eastern U.S. Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures will return back to near average later next week from west to east.
MORE: Getting Engaged in Winter Storm Jonas