Winter storm brings blizzard conditions and dangerous wind chills

By LEAH WILLINGHAM and JEFF MARTIN

A powerful winter storm threatened blizzard-like situations, treacherous journey and energy outages in components of the Higher Midwest, whereas different components of the nation braced for plunging temperatures, excessive winds and a mixture of snow, ice and rain on Monday.

The snow and strengthening winds started spreading throughout the Northern Plains on Sunday, the place the Nationwide Climate Service warned of blizzards and potential snowstorms that might make journey not possible in some areas. Snowfall totals had been anticipated to exceed 12 inches in components of the higher Nice Lakes and may very well be as a lot as double that alongside the south shore of Lake Superior.

“A part of the storm system will get heavy snow, different components of the storm alongside the chilly entrance will get greater wind speeds and far colder temperatures because the entrance passes,” stated Bob Oravec, lead forecaster on the Nationwide Climate Service workplace in Faculty Park, Maryland. “They’re all associated; completely different components of the nation will expertise completely different impacts from this storm.”

The climate service warned of “harmful wind chills” right down to minus 30 levels Fahrenheit (minus 34.4 levels Celsius) in North Dakota and Minnesota from Sunday night by means of Monday.

Within the south, meteorologists warned that extreme thunderstorms are more likely to herald the arrival of a pointy chilly entrance – bringing a sudden drop in temperatures and powerful northerly winds that may abruptly finish days of document heat in that area.

The excessive temperature in Atlanta on Sunday was round 70 levels Fahrenheit, persevering with a warming pattern after climbing to 78 levels F (about 26 levels Celsius), breaking town’s document excessive temperature for Christmas Eve, the Nationwide Climate Service stated. Quite a few different document temperatures had been noticed within the south and midwest of the nation within the days following Christmas.

However the coming chilly entrance was anticipated to drop rain on a lot of the South late Sunday night time into Monday, with a giant drop in temperatures on Tuesday. Forecasters stated the low temperature in Atlanta was 25 F (minus 3.9 C) early Tuesday morning. Colder temperatures within the south are anticipated to proceed by means of New 12 months’s Day.

In Dallas, Sunday temperatures may dip into the decrease 80s (higher 20s Celsius) to mid 40s (single digits Celsius). In Little Rock, excessive temperatures of round 70 levels (21 levels Celsius) on Sunday may drop to highs within the mid-30s on Monday.

“We’re undoubtedly going again to a extra winter sample,” Oravec stated.

The storm is predicted to accentuate because it strikes east, drawing power from a pointy conflict between frigid air barreling south from Canada and unusually heat air caught within the southern United States, the Nationwide Climate Service stated.

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Willingham reported from Harmony, New Hampshire. Martin reported from Kennesaw, Georgia.