…A significant winter storm will continue to bring heavy snow and
disruptive ice across much of the South through Saturday…
…Critical fire weather conditions ramp up again across the Southern
California Coast this afternoon and linger through Friday morning…
…A fast-moving Pacific Storm is set to bring coastal rains and mountain
snows to much of the Pacific Northwest on Friday before racing across the
Northern Rockies and Upper Midwest on Saturday…
Arctic air combined with a moisture-laden area of low pressure will set
the stage for a significant winter storm across a large portion of the
South through Saturday. A swath of heavy snow will stretch from parts of
Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, to the Mid-South, to the southern
Appalachians over the next couple of days. Widespread snow accumulations
of 4 to 8 inches are expected, with the highest amounts focused over
Oklahoma and Arkansas. Farther south, across portions of northeast Texas,
southern Arkansas, and parts of the Southeast, snow transitions to sleet
and freezing rain as warmer air aloft overspreads sub-freezing
temperatures at the surface. Freezing rain will lead to icy conditions,
with a tenth up to a quarter inch of ice expected. The snow, sleet, and
freezing rain will result in hazardous travel for many. In fact, nearly 50
million people are currently under a Winter Storm Warning. The storm will
quickly move along the Gulf Coast through Friday before exiting the East
Coast off the Carolinas on Saturday. Prior to the storm’s departure, light
snow with generally minor impacts will overspread portions of the Ohio
Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast with accumulations ranging from 1 to 3
inches.
After a brief reprieve from dangerous fire weather conditions across the
Southern California Coast, critical fire weather will ramp up again as
strong Santa Ana winds strengthen once again. While winds won’t be nearly
as strong as the past few days, terrain induced winds of 20 to 30 mph with
gusts of 40 to 60 mph will still be strong enough to be of concern.
Combined with low relative humidity and dry fuels, the potential exists
for ongoing fires to worsen and new ignitions to rapidly spread. Dangerous
conditions are expected to continue tonight before waning Friday morning.
A fast-moving Pacific storm is expected to race across the Pacific
Northwest, the northern Rockies and the Upper Midwest Friday into
Saturday. This storm will bring rain to coastal locations and widespread
snow to the mountains. Significant accumulations are expected for the
highest elevations in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies before
transitioning to lighter snows across the Upper Midwest.
Miller
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
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