A strong winter storm is creating dangerous conditions across the United States, with heavy snow, icy roads, and bitterly cold temperatures. Parts of the Upper Midwest are facing blizzard-like conditions, while other areas are dealing with a mix of snow, ice, and rain.
Snow and strong winds began spreading Sunday across the northern Plains. The National Weather Service warned that whiteout conditions and blizzard-like weather could make travel impossible in some areas. Snowfall is expected to exceed a foot across parts of the upper Great Lakes and could be even heavier along the south shore of Lake Superior.
“Part of the storm system is getting heavy snow, other parts are seeing high winds and much colder temperatures as the front passes,” said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland. He added that different regions of the country would experience different effects from the storm.
Dangerously low wind chills, as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34.4 Celsius), are expected in North Dakota and Minnesota. Meanwhile, the South is facing severe thunderstorms as a sharp cold front replaces days of record warmth. Cities like Atlanta saw highs near 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 C) on Sunday, but temperatures are expected to drop to around 25 F (minus 3.9 C) by early Tuesday.
In Dallas, Sunday temperatures in the lower 80s (upper 20s C) could fall to the mid-40s (single digits Celsius), while Little Rock could see highs drop from 70 F (21 C) on Sunday to the mid-30s on Monday. Forecasters expect the colder temperatures in the South to continue through New Year’s Day.
The storm will continue moving east, intensifying as it draws energy from the clash between frigid air moving south from Canada and unusually warm air lingering across the southern United States. Travel disruptions, power outages, and hazardous conditions are expected to affect millions as the storm spreads.
