Bitter cold. Wind Chill Warnings and Advisories across 12 states. Wind Chills as low as -50F across far northern portions of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Temperatures well below average reach southward to the Southern Plains and eastward to the Upper Ohio Valley. “Significant” ice storms. Extensive areas of snow. Power outages and scattered tree damage likely.
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Winter is gripping much of the U.S. this week as an arctic air mass is entrenched over the Central U.S. and will expand into the South and Northwest. Snow is expected to move through the Northeast and New England on Tuesday and an extensive area of snow and freezing rain is expected to setup from the southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic over the next several days.
Bitter arctic air to remain entrenched across the north-central U.S. for the upcoming week while slowing expanding southward.
Significant ice storm possible Wednesday into Thursday from the Mid Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley.
Setting the stage for another frigid February day is a brutally cold arctic high pressure system located across the north-central United States. Wind Chills as low as -40 to -50 degrees can be found across far northern portions of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. High temperatures will struggle to make it above zero from Montana to Minnesota through the next few days, with lows in the negative teens and negative twenties.
Wind Chill Warnings and Advisories stretch across 12 states from the Northern/Central Plains to the Midwest. Temperatures well below average also reach southward to the Southern Plains and eastward to the Upper Ohio Valley. By Thursday this cold airmass is expected to ooze south across more of the south-central U.S., as well as the Pacific Northwest.
With cold air in place, two separate waves of wintry precipitation are set to impact areas from the Southern Plains to New England through Thursday.
Starting today, an area of low pressure is forecast to develop over the Ohio Valley this morning and move toward the New England coastline by tonight. Light-to-moderate snow will affect regions across the Interior Northeast and New England. Upwards of 3 to 6 inches of snow could be found here and lead to isolated travel disruptions. Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings have been issued.
Meanwhile, light freezing rain may cause slippery conditions from central Oklahoma to western Kentucky today.
By Wednesday, precipitation is expected to break out to the north possibly produce more noteworthy freezing rain issues. Shallow cold air at the surface being pumped in from the arctic airmass over the north-central U.S. will help set the stage for a potentially significant ice storm from the Southern Plains to the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
Freezing rain should develop early Wednesday across northern Arkansas and quickly spread east-northeast to the Ohio Valley by Wednesday afternoon. Widespread ice accretion greater than one tenth of an inch will be found across the region by Thursday morning, with over a quarter inch possible in northeast Arkansas. By later in the day Thursday, local amounts exceeding a half inch of freezing rain will be possible between northern Arkansas and western West Virginia. Power outages and scattered tree damage is likely. Slightly to the north, areas of light snow will be found across the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic throughout Wednesday and Thursday. Heavier snowfall amounts will be possible across sections of Maryland and northern Virginia starting Wednesday night, which may lead to hazardous travel conditions.
Light to moderate snow likely across the Northeast and New England today.
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd
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February 9, 2021 at 10:44AM