Major Snow Event Impacting Travel Throughout Nation's Heartland

Winter weather is back in the forecast for millions of Americans as a major snowstorm is coming together over the central U.S. Read on for more details about this impending disruptive storm system.

Winter Storm Alerts Issued for Portions of Central U.S.

A snowstorm is forecast to impact a large swath of the U.S. from Nebraska and into Tennessee on Tuesday and Wednesday. The latest model runs indicate that some areas will pick up the most significant snow accumulations of the season as the mercury also dips to near record-lows in several communities in the central U.S.

The moisture associated with this system will tap into the Arctic air diving down from Canada to fuel its intensification and movement to the east. Snow is in the forecast for a zone expanding from the central High Plains and over into the southern Appalachians through the middle of the week. Snow will be common in parts of the country that also experienced deadly flooding over the week, exacerbating the impacts of the wintry precipitation.

The new work week started with snow across the northern Plains, slowing down travel along some parts of interstates 29, 35, 70, and 80 in the central Plains. This line of snow is set to expand on Tuesday. For instance, after picking up a few inches of snow overnight Monday, Omaha will see the flurries linger through Tuesday morning. It will be frigid in Omaha with a high of just 1 degree on Tuesday and lows that slip to negative 6 degrees. It will not be much warmer on Wednesday in the largest metro area in Nebraska with a forecast high of 3 degrees despite the sun expected to make an appearance in the afternoon.

Snow is also in the forecast for the middle portions of the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday. This area of snow will tap into the moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico to fuel the line of precipitation.

The forecast models are predicting widespread snowfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches in an area from eastern Kansas and over into the central and southern portions of Missouri and down into northeastern Oklahoma and northern Arkansas. The highest terrains of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas could see up to 20 inches of snow out of this event.

Forecasters are also warning that high winds will create blizzard-like conditions during the peak of the storm. The blowing and drifting snow will result in reduced visibility on the roadways, creating significant travel disruptions.

Specific City Forecasts

As forecasters have been predicting for days, some of the biggest cities in the central U.S. will bear the brunt of this storm's wintry impacts. Kansas City is predicted to pick up 1 to 3 inches of snow on Tuesday with highs that max out at about 5 degrees. It will be a bit breezy in the city straddling the border of Kansas and Missouri with winds coming from the north-northeast at 10 to 15 mph.

The snow will be heavier to the south. Wichita, Kansas is under a winter storm warning until 6 am Wednesday. The city in the south-central portion of the Sunflower State is bracing for snowfall accumulations of 3 to 5 inches on Tuesday pairing with winds out of the north-northeast at 15 to 25 mph. It will be a frigid day, with a high of just 8 degrees and overnight lows that slip just below the zero-degree threshold.

Heavier bands of snow will set up to the south in places such as Tulsa. This metro area is preparing for 5 to 8 inches of snow during the day and another 1 to 3 inches during the overnight hours into Wednesday. The forecast is calling for a high of about 25 degrees on Tuesday in Tulsa, falling to 2 degrees overnight. It will be a breezy day with winds clocking in at 10 to 20 mph from the north-northeast.

It will take longer for the snow to arrive in areas to the east. For example, St. Louis will escape with just a few snow flurries during the daylight hours on Thursday. However, the Arch City is expected to see 1 to 3 inches of fresh snow in the overnight hours heading into Wednesday. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will hover in the mid to upper teens.

The measurable snow will push to the east along the Interstate 70 corridor from St. Louis and into the Ohio Valley. Some of this light snow could creep as far to the north to impact interstates 80 and 90 in this region.

The southern flank of the storm is expected to produce icy conditions. The greatest chance of an icy mix will be between interstates 20 and 40 throughout the southern Plains and the lower portions of the Mississippi Valley.

The system will continue its track to the east, sending the flakes flying over the same part of the mid-Mississippi Valley that experienced deadly flash flooding this past weekend. Flooding concerns along secondary rivers will be an issue throughout the week, meaning that any snow could exacerbate this problem.

Looking at this part of the south-central U.S., the cities of Little Rock, Memphis, and Nashville should all be ready for snowfall of 1 to 3 inches. Meanwhile, some areas of Kentucky could see snowfall accumulations that reach about 6 inches.

Colder temperatures will continue to filter in along with the wintry precipitation. This means that any slush that is produced by the wet snow to the south could turn to ice in the overnight hours. Local officials are warning that a large part of the central and southern Plains will see the mercury fall so dramatically that frozen pipes and water main breaks could cause problems by the middle of the week.

System Will Impact the Atlantic Seaboard Beginning Wednesday

The weather maker will move farther east on Wednesday and Thursday where it is expected to intensify when it reaches the Atlantic coastline. The end result of this strengthening weather event will be heavy snow and ice forming in an area from the Carolinas and up into Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.

The forecast models are still unclear about how much snow will fall in this zone. We will continue to update this forecast for the mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and southeastern New England in the days ahead.

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