|UPDATE|
MILWAUKEE — A powerful winter storm with heavy snow and ice has created dangerous travel conditions, closed scores of schools and caused a chain reaction accident that injured at least six people in the Upper Midwest.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for parts of the Dakotas Tuesday.
In Minnesota, snow continued to mount following Monday’s totals ranging from 13 inches in the west-central region and 7 inches near Duluth.
In North Dakota, the State Patrol said five semis and eight other vehicles piled up west of Fargo Monday, closing a section of Interstate 94. At least six people were treated at Fargo hospitals.
In South Dakota, cold temperatures and perilous wind chills were expected through the majority of the week. Forecasters said daytime highs along the North Dakota border were likely to stay well below zero.
Sustained winds and gusts will drive wind chills down to minus 25 to 40 below across the western half of South Dakota through Wednesday morning, the weather service said.
Through noon on Tuesday, the weather service said up to 6 inches of additional snow accumulation is expected across the western half of the state, with the majority of new snowfall along and south of the Interstate 90 corridor.
Schools across the region closed Tuesday or switched to virtual learning. In Wisconsin, the state’s largest district, Milwaukee Public Schools, was among the numerous closings.
|ORIGINAL STORY|
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Another significant winter storm will batter parts of the Plains into the Great Lakes beginning today.
The storm, dubbed Oaklee by The Weather Channel, will spread snow and ice from areas of the Western U.S. to the Southern Plains, Midwest and Northeast through the end of the week.
The wave of low pressure over the Central Plains will move northeastward to the Great Lakes by Tuesday evening and into Quebec, Canada, by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Because of the dangerous weather, the NWS is discouraging travel.
A mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain may come in two waves to parts of the region. Snow will become heavy, with snowfall rates of one inch per hour or higher with the significant and long-duration winter storm.
Strong wind may lead to significant blowing and drifting of snow. Near blizzard conditions are possible over parts of North and South Dakota. The NWS said that snow fall is expected to exceed 6 inches from the Dakotas into the Upper Great Lakes. In addition, more than 12 inches are possible in some areas over the two days.
Significant ice accumulations are possible into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes starting this evening into Tuesday. Some areas may receive a quarter inch of ice.
On Thursday, freezing or sleet could spread from northern and central Texas into the Ozarks and Ohio Valley. That evening, snow and ice will begin to spread across the Northeast.
The Weather Channel said it expects “the heaviest snow is expected from northern Pennsylvania into upstate New York and much of New England, with sleet or freezing rain on the southern end of that wintry mess.”
Not surprisingly, very cold air is expected for much of this week, with temperatures near record low values and dangerously cold wind chills in the Plains. Temperatures are expected to be 20-30 degrees below average, with some locations expected to have record-breaking or tied low temperatures.
On the southern side of the winter weather, there’s expected to be excessive rainfall, with thunderstorms increasing from the Southern Plains to Tennessee/Ohio Valleys from today into Wednesday.
In contrast, temperatures on the other side of the storm will be 10 to 25 degrees above average. This covers the area over Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley from today into Wednesday morning.
Rain showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop, with some expected to be severe. The heavy rain is expected to create localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, and small streams the most vulnerable through Tuesday morning.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
