Winter storm warnings blanket West as 'major outbreak of Arctic air' moves in: Monday weather news

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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TUESDAY WEATHER UPDATES: Massive winter storm moving across the country, bringing snow, ice, blizzard conditions

Much of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies started the week  under winter storm watches and warnings, as snow is expected to fall on Monday and move towards the Midwest and Northeast by midweek.

With the exception of Hawaii, much of the U.S. got a break from winter weather over the weekend with higher temperatures and blue skies. But those clear skies will be replaced with winter weather once again this week, as AccuWeather says "a major outbreak of Arctic air" is in store for the West. Overall, 26 states are expected to see snowfall by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

"The combination of heavy snow and gusty winds will likely result in widespread hazardous travel and cause impacts to infrastructure," the weather service said. "Record lows and dangerous wind chills possible."

Here's what to know about Monday's weather and looking ahead to the rest of the week:

What is wind chill? Understanding the wind chill index and how it's calculated

What's thundersnow and how does it form? Explaining how a thunderstorm can produce snow

A bundled-up walker circles the path in Washington Park after a winter storm packing single-digit temperatures combined with a light snow crossed over the intermountain West Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Denver.
A bundled-up walker circles the path in Washington Park after a winter storm packing single-digit temperatures combined with a light snow crossed over the intermountain West Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Denver.

Winter storm warnings in Pacific Northwest, Rockies

Much of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies was under a  winter storm warning or a winter storm watch Monday morning, as some areas began to see snowfall Sunday night. In many areas, the advisories were in place until Wednesday or Thursday.

A winter storm warning, which is more severe than a winter storm advisory or watch, was issued in parts of the following states:

  • Washington.

  • Oregon.

  • California.

  • Nevada.

  • Idaho.

  • Utah.

  • Wyoming.

  • Montana.

  • Nebraska.

Nearly all of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming were forecast to see either snow or rain Monday. By Monday, the states could have areas with over 30 inches of snow accumulation and will see lower than historical average temperatures.

Here's the outlook for those states:

  • The mountains in Washington are expected to see "significant snow," as the entire state is forecast to have temperatures hovering in the 40s during the day and reach below freezing at night.

  • Mountain passes in Oregon are predicted to see heavy snow.

  • All of Idaho and western Wyoming forecast to see snow.

  • Throughout Montana, roads are expected to hazardous with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. The Swan Range, Flathead Range and Southern Glacier Park in the state are also on avalanche warnings.

"Temperature readings can drop quickly, likely falling between 20-40 degrees over 24 hours for most locations," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.

By Monday night, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Colorado were expected to see snow.

US weather warnings and watches

Strong winds may cause outages

The weather service said in addition to the heavy snow, strong wind gusts in the West and later on in the Midwest may result in blizzard conditions, increasing the risk of power outages and tree damage.

"Confidence is high that this winter storm will be extremely disruptive to travel, livestock and recreation areas," the weather service said.

Blizzard warning issued in Wyoming

The weather service issued a blizzard warning in parts of southern Wyoming starting Tuesday at 2 p.m. MST, warning of snow accumulations up to 20 inches and wind gusts reaching as high as 60 mph Tuesday. Travel should be restricted to emergencies only, the weather service warns.

Here's where the weather service issued a blizzard warning in Wyoming, set to end 5 a.m. MST Thursday:

  • Ferris/Seminoe/Shirley Mountains.

  • Shirley Basin.

  • Central Carbon County.

  • North Snowy Range Foothills.

And here are the parts of Wyoming where the blizzard warning is set to end at 11 p.m. MST Wednesday:

  • Rock Springs.

  • Green River.

  • Flaming Gorge.

  • East Sweetwater County.

Winter storm tracker

South temperatures rise, record highs possible

While much of the West, Midwest and Northeast will be dealing with wintry conditions, it'll be warming up in the South, as temperatures will be above the 70s from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic. The NWS said the region could have numerous record highs. 

Here are some of the highs for Monday:

  • Orlando, Florida: 84 degrees.

  • Dallas: 81 degrees. 

  • New Orleans: 75 degrees.

  • Atlanta: 72 degrees.

National weather radar

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monday weather radar, updates: Snow, winds forecast for PNW, Rockies