Life-threatening snow squalls, near-blizzard conditions threaten millions as winter storm sweeps across US
Winter weather alerts stretch from North Dakota to Maine, including Blizzard Warnings that were issued in parts of West Virginia and Maryland in the mid-Atlantic due to the threat of snow and high winds that will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening.
Snow squalls, near-blizzard conditions possible as winter storm sweeps across US
A new winter storm has millions of people from the Upper Midwest to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast preparing for dangerous winds and potential blizzard or near-blizzard conditions.
ERIE, Pa. – A new winter storm has millions of people from the Upper Midwest to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast seeing the potential for heavy snow and blizzard conditions in areas that were just slammed by a lake-effect snowstorm that buried cities in feet of snow.
The storm could even bring some precipitation to the heavily traveled Interstate 95 corridor.
This image shows a life-threatening snow squall just west of Grand Forks, North Dakota, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (@NWSWPC/X)
The storm system, known as an "Alberta Clipper" due to its quick pace and origins inside its namesake Canadian province, moved into the northern Plains and Upper Midwest earlier Wednesday, and impacts from the storm are already being felt.
Snow Squall Warnings were issued for heavier snow showers in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Wednesday morning and warned people of the life-threatening situation with sudden whiteout conditions and blowing snow likely.
Snow squall hits Wisconsin's Interstate 94 during Alberta Clipper storm
Time lapse video shows a snow squall hitting Interstate 94 in Warrens, Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon. (Video: Wisconsin DOT via National Weather Service)
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) shared a dramatic photo just west of Grand Forks, North Dakota that showed the whiteout conditions blinding portions of far eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
Winter Storm whips through Great Lakes
More than a foot of new snowfall and blizzard-like conditions could impact the parts of the Midwest and Northeast during the workweek.
NWS forecasters in western Wisconsin warned of a flash freeze Wednesday afternoon as the approaching arctic front quickly drops temperatures below freezing, along with wind gusts of 40-60 mph or more. Rochester, Minnesota saw its temperature drop from 36 to 27 in two hours as winds gusted to 62 mph.
Winter weather alerts stretch from North Dakota to Maine, including Blizzard Warnings that were issued in parts of West Virginia and Maryland in the mid-Atlantic due to the threat of snow and high winds that will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening.
The heaviest snow on Wednesday will once again be generated by lake effects and relegated to the eastern shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for Michigan’s western snowbelts and the Upper Peninsula for new snow totals exceeding a foot.
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But scattered snow squalls are possible across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Wednesday, with widespread wind gusts reaching 40-50 mph bringing the potential for near-blizzard or whiteout conditions.
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Storm shifts heavy snow, high winds to Northeast on Thursday
The clipper system will slide through the Northeast on Thursday, shifting the heavy snow to the eastern shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
"That wind is straight down out of Canada, pulling down more in the way of the cold air – part of the reason why so many folks across the eastern part of the country are dealing with below-average temperatures," FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver said. "That also keeps the lake-effect snow machine rolling. So December is kicking off with a bang."
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Erie, Pennsylvania digs out from one major snow event ahead of a second one this week
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray shows the snowy scene from Erie as crews race to clear feet of snow just as another snowstorm looms in the middle of the week.
Winter Storm Warnings and Lake-Effect Snow Warnings are back in effect starting late Wednesday as another 7-12 inches of snow with isolated higher amounts are likely along the eastern shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Those areas have been digging out from the 3-5 feet of lake-effect snow accumulated since Friday.
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Heavy snow is also likely in interior New England and into Maine from the moisture associated with the storm center as it tracks over that region Thursday.
Lighter but accumulating snow is expected across the lower elevations of upstate New York and western and northern Pennsylvania.
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While high winds were not much of a factor in the previous lake-effect snowstorm, this time, ferocious winds will blow across the Northeast as the powerful low-pressure center pushes across the region.
Widespread gusts of 40-50 mph are likely, creating near-blizzard conditions along the lake-effect snowbelts.
In total, more than 77 million people from the Dakotas to Massachusetts, including those in cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington and New York City, are included in Wind Advisories.
Winds could gust upwards of 50 mph in the Minneapolis area, while tropical-storm-force wind gusts could also blast Cape Cod and Nantucket in Massachusetts.
Will it snow along the I-95 corridor?
Depending on the storm’s timing on Thursday, some areas along the I-95 corridor could at least see some wet snow or a rain/snow mix.
Neither New York, Philadelphia nor Boston have yet to see any measurable snow reported in the weather books this season. However, Central Park did report its first "trace" of snow on Tuesday.
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For the I-95 corridor overall, this storm is not expected to bring much of any snow accumulations, but the high winds could still trigger sporadic power outages.