As one storm system pulls out of the US, another is on its way later this week, likely bringing another round of heavy snow and severe weather to parts of the country that have just finished seeing their share of bad weather.
The Fox Forecast Center expects a band of heavy snow to fall from Missouri to Michigan, with severe thunderstorms possible from Texas through the Carolinas in the mid-Atlantic.
As with the past two storm systems, major cities in the Northeast will miss out on seeing accumulating snow, with temperatures too high to support freezing precipitation along the coast.
The storm system has triggered blizzard warnings for higher elevations in the Pacific Northwest, and wind gusts have reached 100 mph on some ridges.
Major impacts are expected to begin late Thursday across the Plains and last until the storm system enters Canada and off the East Coast on Saturday.
“We’ve been through the weekend and even Easter impacting the East Coast and this storm that we’re still missing,” said Fox Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin. “But the next one, it’s interesting.”
The Fox Forecast Center expects a pack of heavy snow to fall from Missouri to Michigan, with severe thunderstorms possible in other parts of the country later this week. Fox Weather Behind the frontal boundary will be the coldest air of the season, dropping temperatures to around 0 degrees as far south as Missouri. AP
That’s because the storm track is similar to the previous one, though maybe not the same.
“The track difference between 50 and 100 miles makes a big difference to certain cities,” he said.
For example, Chicago didn’t see much snow from previous systems this week.
But that could change with the next storm this week.
Major impacts are expected to begin late Thursday across the Square and continue through Saturday. Fox weather
“The suburbs have better numbers,” Merwin said. “But the next storm later this week, the position is better for Chicago to see more snow than what they’ve had.”
Winter weather effects
Snow is expected to be lightest on the Plains and increase in coverage and intensity across the Great Lakes.
The first flakes are expected to start flying Thursday, with Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Indianapolis all seeing accumulating snow by Friday.
Forecast models show some communities in the Great Lakes could get snow accumulations in the double digits with wind gusts greater than 30 mph.
The first flakes are expected to start flying Thursday, with Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Indianapolis seeing heavy snow by Friday. AP
The areas that will see the heaviest snow likely won’t set in stone until around Thursday morning, when computer models will be able to more accurately determine where the center of the storm system will move and how much cold air will be available.
The combination of heavy snow and high winds could make travel impossible along the I-80 corridor, with freezing precipitation making it as far south as Interstate 40.
Cities like Chicago and Detroit are poised to at least double their snow accumulation for the season.
The Windy City has only reported about 6 inches of snow since Dec. 1, and Detroit has only seen 1.1 inches of snow.
As warm air becomes dominant, south of Interstate 40, communities have a chance of seeing strong to severe storms.
Effects of severe weather
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has highlighted areas in the South several days before the actual storm system arrives, meaning certainty is high for the threat of damaging winds and tornadoes on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday’s highest threat zone is centered in East Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The SPC has placed the region at level 2 out of 5 on its thunderstorm risk scale.
On Friday, the threat zone is expected to advance eastward and stretch from Mississippi through North Carolina.
Forecasters warned that due to the prevailing instability, the atmosphere may be more conducive to the development of supercell thunderstorms than those experienced earlier this week, which featured more linear storm structures.
Cities like Chicago and Detroit are poised to at least double their snow accumulation for the season. AP
Discrete cells are known to produce stronger tornadoes than those associated with squall lines, leading to more widespread wind damage.
“Discrete thunderstorms are always a big concern because they can make strong tornadoes,” Merwin said. “It’s like coming to a buffet and you have one person. These discrete thunderstorms can consume all the energy in the atmosphere.”
Communities such as Dothan, Ala., Panama City, Fla., and Claremont, NC, which were hit hard during Tuesday’s outbreak of severe weather, were included in the threat zone on Friday.
States such as Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and the Carolinas are expected to receive severe thunderstorms, according to reports. Fox weather
However, the SPC places areas of southeast Alabama, central Georgia, including Atlanta, and the Carolinas at a level 3 out of 5 on its thunderstorm risk scale.
“But the subtropical jets, because of the El Niño phase, allow this to rip and roar and stay active in the South,” Fox Weather meteorologist Steve Bender said.
Arctic air follows
Behind the frontal boundary will be the coldest air of the season, dropping temperatures to around 0 degrees as far south as Missouri and values reaching at least -30 degrees along the US-Canada border.
A person walks a dog after a winter storm moved through Leawood, Kansas, on January 9. AP
As the next work week progresses, the arctic air mass is expected to spread south and east, but questions remain about the permanent pattern of the cold air.
Will the cold air persist for a long period, or will the air mass moderate, giving only a little winter punch?
This detail is important because if cold air masses have staying power, it is very likely that future storm systems will be able to tap into and produce snow in places with historic deficits.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
