Blog Article
Severe Storms and Blizzard Threaten the US This Weekend
A massive storm system brings nighttime tornadoes to the South and a crippling blizzard to the Midwest. Check the latest forecast and impacts for your area.
A literal tale of two extremes: Nighttime tornadoes down south and crippling blizzards up north
Alright folks, let us talk about this weekend. Yesterday we talked about Mother Nature acting a whole lot like Beth Dutton with all these Spring Break travel headaches. Well, she is holding nothing back for the second half of the weekend. We are tracking a massive storm system that is going to bring a little bit of everything.
If you are out at the Houston Crawfish Day Fest today or catching some Spring Training baseball out in Arizona, enjoy the calm while you can. For a huge chunk of the country, things are about to get incredibly messy.
The severe threat: Nighttime storms and damaging winds
Get this, the Storm Prediction Center has already issued an Enhanced Risk for severe weather on Sunday. This covers a massive area from the ArkLaTex region right up into southern Illinois and Indiana.
If you live in Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, or Shreveport, you need to be paying close attention. We are looking at a squall line setup. That means a solid wall of storms packing widespread damaging winds up to 75 mph. There is also a very real threat for quick spin-up tornadoes embedded in that line.
Here is the thing that worries me the most. The worst of this is going to happen during the evening and overnight hours. Nighttime tornadoes are incredibly dangerous because you cannot see them coming and most folks are asleep.
And do not think you are off the hook if you live further east. By Monday, this whole system pushes into the Carolinas, Virginia, and southern Pennsylvania with another Enhanced Risk for widespread damaging winds and several tornadoes.
Winter's wild side: Blizzards and a flash freeze
While the South is dealing with severe storms, the Upper Midwest is about to get buried. We have a Moderate Risk for significant winter impacts on Sunday across eastern South Dakota, northern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Green Bay, y'all are right in the crosshairs. We are talking about 12 to 24 inches of snow. At times, the snow will be falling at 2 to 3 inches per hour. When you combine that with howling winds, you get complete whiteout blizzard conditions. Travel is going to be flat-out impossible.
But that is not all. Behind this cold front, temperatures are going to plummet 20 to 40 degrees in a matter of hours.
When temperatures drop that fast, any rain or melted snow on the roads instantly turns into a sheet of solid ice. This is called a flash freeze. If you are planning to hit the road Sunday or Monday morning in the Ohio Valley or Upper Midwest, you might want to rethink those plans.
Critical fire danger out West
We cannot ignore our friends in the Southwest. Behind this storm system, the winds are going to be absolutely screaming across New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and West Texas. The National Weather Service has highlighted a Critical Fire Weather area for today and Sunday.
If you are in Albuquerque, El Paso, or Lubbock, please be careful. The combination of dry air, dry brush, and strong winds means any spark could start a wildfire that spreads rapidly.
The Bottom Line
- Down South and Ohio Valley: Have multiple ways to get weather warnings Sunday night that will actually wake you up. A NOAA weather radio is your best friend here.
- Upper Midwest: Finish your errands today. Once the heavy snow and wind start on Sunday, stay off the roads.
- Mid-Atlantic: Prepare for severe weather and power outages on Monday.
- Southwest: Avoid any outdoor burning or activities that could create a spark.
Stay safe out there, y'all. Keep your phones charged, check in on your neighbors, and we will keep watching the data.