Minneapolis, Chicago face slick travel to kick off new week

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

January 25,2016; 10:47PM,EST

 

 

Nuisance snow and icy spots threaten to create slick travel across parts of the midwestern United States on Monday before a new round of lake-effect snow returns.
The storm will spread nuisance snow from the northern Plains to the upper Great Lakes Monday into Monday night. Snowfall totals will generally range from 1 to 4 inches with some locally higher amounts close to 6 inches.
While not a substantial amount, that snow can still lead to slick travel in cities such as Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota; and Madison, Wisconsin.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, a bit of rain will fall as the system moves northeastward. However, the air may be cold enough for the rain to freeze on some surfaces initially from northeastern Kansas to around southern Lake Michigan.
Due to the recent cold, road temperatures will be slower to climb above freezing than air temperatures. Slick spots may still be present for a couple hours after air temperatures rise above 32 F.
The danger for untreated surfaces to turn icy will exist in Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and Chicago, on Monday morning.

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The storm moving across the central U.S. early this week will also allow a return of milder air to build across the Midwest and Northeast prior to its arrival.
"Noticeably milder air will make a brief appearance early this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said. "Locations across the Midwest and Northeast have experienced a week-long stretch of temperatures averaging 5 to 15 degrees below normal."

Temperatures will reach the 30s across much of the upper Great Lakes on Monday with temperatures rising into the 40s in the Ohio Valley, leading to significant snowmelt. Temperatures will run at least 10 degrees above average for much of the region.
"It will feel much warmer considering how cold it has been recently," Duff said.
Dry weather will compliment the rebound in temperatures on Monday from Cincinnati, Detroit and points eastward. Spotty rain showers will then return at night.
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Snow showers will persist in the upper Great Lakes on Tuesday as cold air begins to stream over the relatively milder lakes.
"Cold air flowing over the relatively warmer Great Lakes will allow for lake-effect snow to ramp up on Wednesday," Duff said.
The lake-effect event is expected to be short lived and only produce minor accumulations from Michigan to western New York.

Temperatures by midweek will be near or slightly below average across much of the Midwest. Highs will be mainly in the 20s and 30s.
Anyone traveling near the Great Lakes on Wednesday should still use caution when approaching a snow band as visibility could be greatly reduced, despite low accumulations.
Some places downwind of the Great Lakes may receive an additional 1 to 3 inches by Wednesday night.
A fast-moving clipper system will pass across the Great Lakes on Thursday which will cause the lake-effect snow to shut off. Much of the region will be free from precipitation as the snow will remain across southern Canada.