A Strong winter storm Blizzard-like conditions, treacherous travel and power outages threaten parts of the upper Midwest as other areas of the country brace for Monday for freezing temperatures, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain.
Snow and strong winds began spreading Sunday across the northern Plains, with the National Weather Service warning of snowfall and potential blizzard conditions that could make travel impossible in some areas. Snowfall totals are expected to exceed a foot (30 cm) across parts of the upper Great Lakes region and up to twice that along the south shore of Lake Superior.
“Part of the storm system is getting heavy snow, while other parts of the storm along the cold front are getting stronger winds and colder temperatures as the front passes,” said Bob Oravec, chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in College Park, Maryland. “They’re all connected — different parts of the country will receive different impacts from this storm.”
The National Weather Service warned of “dangerous wind chills” of up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34.4 degrees Celsius) in North Dakota and in Minnesota from Sunday night into Monday.
In the south, meteorologists warned that severe thunderstorms would likely signal the arrival of a sharp cold front — bringing a sudden drop in temperatures and strong northerly winds that will abruptly end days of record warmth across that region.
The high temperature in Atlanta reached about 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, continuing the warm trend after rising to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (about 26 degrees Celsius) to break the city’s record high temperature on Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said. Several other record high temperatures were seen across the South and Midwest in the days following Christmas.
But the incoming cold front is expected to bring rain to much of the South late Sunday night into Monday, and a significant drop in temperatures on Tuesday. The low temperature in Atlanta reached 25 F (minus 3.9 C) by early Tuesday morning, forecasters said. Cold temperatures are expected to continue in the South through New Year’s Day.
In Dallas, temperatures on Sunday could drop into the lower 80s (high 20s C) to mid 40s (single digits C). In Little Rock, high temperatures of around 70 degrees (21 degrees Celsius) on Sunday may drop to highs in the mid-30s on Monday.
“We’re definitely moving back toward a more winter style,” Oravec said.
The storm is expected to intensify as it moves east, deriving its energy from a sharp collision between the frigid air pushing south from Canada and the unusually warm air sweeping across the southern United States, according to the National Weather Service.
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Willingham reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Martin reported from Kennesaw, Georgia.