Multifaceted storm to hit midwestern and eastern US with snow, ice, rain, thunderstorms and wind

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

February 5,2017, 10:48:09AM,EST

 

 A storm will sweep across the central and eastern United States and will cause travel disruptions from both wintry and springlike weather early this week.

The storm will produce a swath of snow and ice from the northern Plains to the Upper Midwest and the Northeast.
Farther south, the storm will tug on enough warm air to bring a brief taste of spring along with the potential for heavy thunderstorms, downpours and gusty winds.

Storm's wintry side to lead to travel delays and disruptions to daily activities
Enough snow and ice can occur to cause dangerous travel and school delays over the northern tier states.
After depositing heavy snow on parts of the northern Rockies into Monday morning, light to moderate snow will streak eastward across portions of the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan from Monday night through Tuesday.
Travel around Minneapolis will be slippery and slushy in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
South of the snow area, a swath of freezing rain will glaze surfaces for a time and will pose the biggest threat to motorists and pedestrians, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Spamer.
"Icy conditions are likely in parts of central Wisconsin and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, during Monday night and Tuesday," Spamer said.

Around Detroit, the most likely time for ice is during Monday evening, prior to higher temperatures and plain rain for a time.
Snow and ice will visit part of the Northeast as well from Monday night to Tuesday night.
Up to a few inches of snow will fall prior to sleet and freezing rain in northeastern New York state, Vermont, New Hampshire and central and northern Maine, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Steve Travis.
"People in Burlington, Vermont; Concord, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine, should expect a formidable winter storm with slippery travel," Travis said.
During Monday night and into Tuesday morning, a period of ice will glaze some roads and sidewalks as far south as northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey to portions of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, prior to a change to plain rain later on Tuesday.
"Motorists should be prepared for slippery travel and allow extra time for their commute on Tuesday in Albany, New York, and Boston," Spamer said.
Storm's springlike side to bring warmth with flooding rain and gusty thunderstorm risk
The storm slated for Monday night to Wednesday morning will bring weather conditions more typical of March.
Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston can expect drenching rain from the storm as temperatures begin to surge.
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Enough rain can fall in much of this swath to cause flooding in poor drainage areas.
Pedestrians will need an umbrella and a pair of waterproof shoes to get around.
Enough rain can fall, combined with a low cloud ceiling to lead to airline delays.
The rain will provide some benefits to abnormally dry and drought areas in the Northeast and the interior South.
In portions of the middle Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys, the storm system will be strong enough to produce gusty thunderstorms. In a few cases, the storms can be strong enough to cause urban flooding, down tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages.

Cities that could be hit by a disruptive and noisy thunderstorm with torrential downpours include St. Louis; Cincinnati; Atlanta; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee.
While the storm system is looking less potent in terms of high wind potential for the Great Lakes, strong gusts in absence of thunderstorms will circulate across parts of the mid-Atlantic during Tuesday and New England during Tuesday night.
The gusty southwesterly winds will help bring in the warm air. Temperatures are likely to reach the 60s F along the mid-Atlantic coast by Tuesday and the 50s in part of New England on Wednesday. Record-challenging warmth will hold along the mid-Atlantic coast on Wednesday.
Much colder air will quickly circulate in behind the storm spanning Tuesday night in the Midwest and the East during Wednesday night.