Heavy Snow in the North With Arctic Air East of the Rockies

Late Tuesday to Wednesday, a swath of heavy snowfall tagged central Minnesota into northern Wisconsin. Snowfall reports spanned from 6- to 12-inches across these areas. Behind this midweek system, temperatures started plummeting below average and cooler air will likely stay across the Midwest through the first week of December. This weekend, another significant winter storm will move through the region, but heavy snow will mainly favor eastern Iowa into northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Parts of eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and northern Illinois could see over 10 inches of snow from late Friday through early Sunday. For areas that see heavier snow this weekend, low temperatures could drop close to zero degrees Fahrenheit early next week. Quick-hitting systems could continue to drift through the region next week, providing rounds of light snow or rain to southern areas.

On Tuesday, snow moved through the Dakotas and blizzard conditions impacted the east-central Dakotas as heavy snow and gusty winds reduced visibility on the northern end of the Buffalo Ridge. A large system started moving into the Northern Plains early Friday and by the time it starts exiting on Saturday, snowfall totals could approach 4- to 7-inches across the west-central Dakotas. Arctic air will spread across the Northern Plains this weekend as low temperatures drop into the teens below zero. By the middle of next week, temperatures will moderate some and rise closer to average in western extents of the region. Much like the Midwest, a few quick-moving systems will move through next week and provide snow and rain to the region; however, snow may not be as heavy as this weekend’s system.

Heavy rain exited the southeast Plains earlier this week with mostly dry conditions returning for the middle of the week across the Central and Southern Plains. Like the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, a large system will move through this weekend with snow in northern areas and rain and thunderstorms in the south. Northern Nebraska could see 2- to 6-inches of snow with isolated higher amounts near 7- to 8-inches. By Saturday, marginally severe storms and pockets of heavy rain will hit eastern Texas. Early next week, another system could move through the Central and Southern Plains with snow extending through Kansas and northern Oklahoma. Temperatures will largely remain below average for much of next week with some moderation by the end of next week in the High Plains.

Parts of the Mississippi Delta are still in the midst of moderate or severe drought and rain showers were sparse through the middle of this week. A cold front will move through over the weekend, providing widespread rain showers and a marginal risk for strong to severe thunderstorms, especially Saturday. Most of the Southern Delta will see at least 0.25 inches of rain this weekend, but locally higher totals could exceed one inch in spots, especially across Louisiana. By next Monday and Tuesday, a second wave of rain will move through the Southern Delta and rainfall totals around 1- to 2-inches will favor southern Louisiana. Cold air from the north will persist in the Delta during the first week of December and high temperatures will only manage to get into the 40s across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas early next week.

A cold front swept through the Southeast Tuesday into Wednesday, providing 1-2 inches of rain in central Alabama and west-central Georgia. Temperatures cooled off by Thanksgiving Day, and below-average temperatures will persist through Saturday for much of the region. Although, temperatures will rebound closer to average for southern Alabama and southern Georgia. Another cold front will move across the Southeast late Monday through Tuesday and drop temperatures below average by Wednesday. Widespread rainfall near or above one inch is forecast from southern Alabama into northern Georgia early next week, which could provide a dent in the worsening drought conditions that occurred this fall.

Rain and snow mainly favored the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies earlier this week in the West. Another system started moving into these regions late Thursday into Friday, and it’s expected to exit the Northern Rockies by early Saturday. Temperatures will take a dive below average behind this system, reaching close to 20-25 degrees F below average in parts of Montana this weekend. The cold will not last long as temperatures moderate closer to average or slightly above average by the middle of next week. Light snow will move through the Northern Rockies early next week and it could spread south into the Central Rockies by the middle of the week.  

Teresa Wells can be reached at teresa.wells@dtn.com

John Baranick can be reached at john.baranick@dtn.com