Mighty 3,000-km-wide storm to hit with howling blizzards, twisters
A powerful storm set to develop across the northern United States this week will grow into a behemoth, stretching more than 3,000 km long at its peak, bringing snow to the Prairies while ferocious thunderstorms roar along the Gulf Coast.
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The action begins with a huge trough swinging over the Rocky Mountains to start the work week. As the trough crests the mountains on Monday, a low-pressure system will spin up over northeastern Colorado and strengthen in a hurry as it heads toward the Dakotas on Tuesday.
This week’s storm is going to have a little bit of everything for tens of millions of people. Cold air to the north of the storm will produce blizzard conditions across the High Plains. Many communities across the Dakotas could see more than 30 cm of snow by the end of the storm.
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Snow and high winds will spill over the international border, as well, bringing the potential for a shovelable snowfall to portions of the southern Prairies. The threat exists for blizzard conditions across parts of southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. Keep checking back as the details become clearer.
Farther south, the mood will be anything but wintry as the system pumps a slug of warm, humid air north from the Gulf of Mexico. This unstable air mass will provide the fuel -- and an approaching cold front will act as the trigger -- to fire off multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms across the southern United States.
WATCH: Impending storm stretches 3,000 km across Canada and the U.S.
These storms could easily grow into supercells capable of producing tornadoes, high winds, and large hail. The greatest risk appears centred over the Lower Mississippi River Valley during the day on Tuesday. The U.S. Storm Prediction Center on Saturday called Tuesday’s storm threat “a severe-weather event of noteworthy proportions” based on current forecasts.
By the storm’s peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, its influence will stretch across the continent from the southern Prairies to the Gulf of Mexico, leaving a footprint measuring more than 3,000 km long.
We’ll have to watch the progress of the storm late this week for potential impacts across the Great Lakes region and the rest of Eastern Canada.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest as this potent storm develops.
