Winter storm to bring more snow to northern Plains, Upper Midwest into the weekend
A second storm in as many days will blanket a large swath of the north-central United States with fresh snow from into the weekend, according to AccuWeather forecasters. The wintry weather will mean more travel headaches for those with weekend travel plans.
The storm responsible for this new bout of snow kicked off the latest atmospheric river in California earlier this week and was expected to emerge from the Rockies on Friday and move to the southeast into the weekend from the northern Plains into the Upper Midwest.
At least two people died due to a head-on crash that occurred amid snowy weather on Thursday in Minnesota, according to AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell. The accident was reported on Route 63 near Racine, Minnesota, Wadell said.
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"Wind and blowing snow led to low visibility. Authorities say road conditions were slick and icy," Wadell said.
A mere 24 hours after the last round of accumulating snow, flakes started flying again from eastern Montana into North Dakota on Friday evening. More than a foot of snow was dumped on several Wisconsin and Michigan locations Friday, including 13.2 inches of accumulation in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and 12.5 inches of snow in Irving, Michigan.
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For Minneapolis, it will add to an already impressive snow total for this winter. After 2.7 inches of snow fell at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from the last storm, the seasonal total was up to 77.8 inches, nearly 34 inches above the historical average to date. A fresh 1 to 3 inches will fall in the Twin Cities with this new storm.
Only a few inches of snow are expected in several other large cities in the Midwest this weekend, including Chicago, Green Bay and Milwaukee.
"Snow lovers in Chicago should not get their hopes up too much with the upcoming storm, as only an inch or two is expected at most from Saturday night into Sunday," said Duff.
Heftier amounts will occur farther north closer to the Canadian border, where the snow will heavier and the air colder. A swath of 3 to 6 inches will extend from far northeastern Montana and North Dakota into northern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and the far western portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Some of the highest amounts with the storm will be in a smaller zone located in far northeastern North Dakota and far northern Minnesota. About 6 to 12 inches will be common in these areas, including the cities of Duluth, Minnesota, and Grand Forks, North Dakota. The highest totals may come from just north of Duluth, where over a foot of snow is anticipated near the shores of Lake Superior.
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While the storm will avoid impacting any weekday rush hour traffic for most, weekend travel plans by air or car will be impacted. This will especially be the case at night or early in the morning when the effects of the stronger March sun are zero or diminished. It is during these periods that snow accumulation on roads will be more likely.
Additionally, as the storm runs up against high pressure over Canada, the pressure gradient between the two systems will kick up the wind, especially across the northern Plains east to areas near the shores of Lake Superior.
Forecasters say the wind will lead to near-blizzard conditions due to blowing and drifting snow. The reduction in visibility for motorists can cause dangerous driving conditions, especially on interstate highways.
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The storm will not be finished after draping the nation's midsection with snow, as it will provide some energy to a developing nor'easter off the East Coast into early next week. That new storm, which may become a ‘bomb cyclone,' will deliver another round of heavy snow to parts of the interior Northeast.
For the Plains and Midwest, the storm will leave frigid cold in its wake into the new week.
"Temperatures will be bitterly cold by mid-March standards, dipping to levels 10 to 20 degrees below the historical average," Duff said.
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