Winter storm bringing snow, ice and tornadoes is expected to hit the US this week

Published

1 month ago

January 2, 2023

(NEW YORK) — A strong storm moving through the Intermountain West and upper Midwest, with far-reaching impacts in the Gulf of Mexico, will bring blizzard conditions to the north and possible tornadoes to the south.

The storms, which threaten destructive winds and tornadoes, will develop by noon Monday from Houston, Texas, to Shreveport, Louisiana, build up through the afternoon and become larger Monday night.

Texas Monday

Thunderstorms will develop before a cold front moves across southeast Texas Monday night through Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab

More than 3 feet of snow fell in the Sierra mountains of California over the weekend. According to the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, up to 7.5 inches of snow per hour fell in the Sierras on Saturday.

Midwest Monday and Tuesday

Sixteen states are under winter and/or wind watches, and a winter storm is expected to bring near-blizzard conditions to the upper Midwest Monday and Tuesday.

Salt Lake City

A winter storm warning has also been issued in Salt Lake City, Utah, for Sunday, with forecasters predicting 4 to 6 inches of snow.

Snow arrives in Denver, Colorado around midnight, with 3 to 4 inches and up to a foot of snow expected in Vail and possibly more than 2 feet of snow expected in southwestern Colorado.

Mogollon Rim

The Mogollon Rim in east central Arizona expects heavy snow Sunday with rates that can approach more than 3 inches per hour.

South Dakota and Minnesota Monday and Tuesday

More than a foot of snow and 40+ mph winds are possible in Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota Monday and Tuesday, which could cause driving conditions and power outages.

The ice event will begin Monday afternoon and continue throughout the day, with snow falling and covering the ice on Tuesday morning.

East and Midwest

Before the storm, temperatures are expected to rise in the East and Midwest to as high as 60 degrees, with several places, including Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, approaching record levels.

For Buffalo

For Buffalo, that’s almost a change from last week, when a massive winter storm affected the area and other parts of western New York.

Buffalo was affected by continued blackout conditions and freezing temperatures that contributed to dozens of deaths.

New York Governor

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has called the Christmas weekend storm the “blizzard of the century.”

“This will go down in history as the most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long history of battling … many, many major storms,” Hochul, a Buffalo native, said during a Christmas morning news conference.