Weather Forecast Now logo
29° clear sky

Severe Weather

Frigid Temperatures and Snow in the Forecast for North-Central U.S.

Alexis Thornton

2 months ago
WFN

The active weather that has been pummeling the West Coast this week is now moving into the Rockies and the northern Plains, bringing its fresh impacts to even more Americans. Read on for the details of this evolving situation.

Weekend Snow for Parts of Northern Rockies and Northern Plains

Over a foot of snow is expected in some of the ski resorts across the Rocky Mountains this weekend as a storm that originally unleashed across the western U.S. moves to the west. In addition to significant snowfall, the northern Rocky Mountains and the northern Plains should expect high winds and frigid temperatures.

Forecasters are predicting that the moisture and energy associated with this storm system will merge with a blast of Arctic air diving down from the north out of Canada to produce a winter wonderland across Montana and the Dakotas. It will be even colder in southern Canada with daytime highs expected to top out in the teens and low 20s in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the southwestern corner of Manitoba.

The northern tier of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana will also see highs top out in the teens and 20s in the higher terrains of the region. Moving to the south, the north-central U.S. and the Front Range are expecting the mercury to struggle to climb out of the 30s and the 40s for highs this weekend.

For example, Billings, Montana will see the temperature fall from a high of 35 degrees on Saturday to readings that hover in the low to mid 20s for highs on Sunday. The college town will also see a shot of snow showers on Sunday morning with about an inch of accumulation in the forecast. Overnight lows will drop to about the 10-degree mark on Sunday night in this part of Montana.

Snowfall Total Expectations

The heaviest bands of snow will set up across southeastern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan in Canada. These provinces should expect snowfall of nearly two feet in the hardest hit areas. The city of Regina, Saskatchewan is forecast to see 1 to 3 inches of snow during the day Saturday and another 3 to 5 inches in the overnight hours. The temperatures will also begin a downward trajectory at this time in Regina. Monday's highs will barely inch up over 0 degrees.

While southern Canada will bear the brunt of the heavy snow, some parts of the northern U.S. will also get in on this action. The forecast is calling for snow of 1 to 3 inches for central and northeastern Montana, the western edge of Wyoming, and northern North Dakota. The northwestern fringe of Minnesota is also expected to see snow accumulations land at this level.

The higher elevations across the Montana Rockies and Idaho should prepare for snowfall of 6 to 12 inches. Motorists using the Marias Pass in Montana will want to keep an eye on road conditions as up to 6 inches of fresh accumulation is likely in this area. Snowfall of this magnitude could lead to a pass closure, forcing drivers to find alternate routes.

The tourist town of Jackson, Wyoming will see the greatest chance of snow Saturday afternoon and into the overnight hours. Highs will hover in the upper 30s on Saturday before dropping into the mid 20s overnight. Sunday will be the coldest day of the weekend with the mercury topping out right at the freezing mark and overnight lows expected to land at about 10 degrees. Another chance of light snow is back in the forecast for Jackson on Tuesday.

This forecast is great news for the ski and snowboard enthusiasts. The area ski resorts will welcome the fresh powder heading into the Thanksgiving holiday week.

The arrival of the wintry precipitation will also bring down the temperatures. This is because snow cover on the ground keeps the surface temperatures lower, paving the way for the frigid Canadian air to stay in place.


Tags

Share

More Weather News