WINTER SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS
Cross-Country System to Bring Snow and Rain to Northwest, Midwest and EastBy Chris Dolce
6:00pm / Feb.15,2020
weather.com
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At a Glance* A new cross-country system will enter the Northwest this weekend.
* It will spread snow from the Rockies to parts of the nation's northern tier early next week.
* More rain will move into the already-soaked South.
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A new cross-country system will bring snow to the nation's northern tier and rain to many areas of the South and East as mild temperatures return in mid-February.
This system will enter the Northwest this weekend; from there, it will track through the Plains, Midwest and East early next week.
Arctic air moving from the Midwest to the Northeast late this week will quickly give way to another warmup in the coming days. Most areas east of the Rockies will have above-average temperatures by Monday, as shown by the orange contours in the temperature forecast below.
That means snow and ice from this system are unlikely to be widespread. But snowfall could impact travel in the West, as well as the northern tier east of the Rockies. It will also bring more unwanted rain to the South.
Here's an overview of the forecast, but keep in mind that changes to this forecast are likely since the exact track of this next system is still uncertain.
ForecastSaturday & SundaySnow is falling across the Northwest and there is some blowing snow across the northern Rockies and Great Basin. Snow levels will fall in the Cascades as low as 2,000 feet by Saturday night. Travel may become tricky in some passes Saturday night.
Winter weather advisories have been issued from the Cascades to the northern Rockies due to messy roads, blowing snow and lowered visibilities.
Wintry conditions have closed a portion of Interstate 80 in Wyoming from Laramie and Rawlins. The Wyoming Department of Transportation says the road will be closed for 9 to 11 hours.
TWITTER MESSAGENWS Cheyenne
https://twitter.com/NWSCheyenne/status/1228721609520881664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fweather.com%2Fsafety%2Fwinter%2Fnews%2F2020-02-14-cross-country-snow-rain-northwest-midwest-east@NWSCheyenne
15/940AM: Interstate 80 remains closed near Arlington west of Laramie this morning due to strong winds and blowing snow. #wywx #wyoroad
Snowfall will spread from the Cascades of Washington and Oregon toward Utah's Wasatch and the northern and central Rockies Saturday into Sunday.
Salt Lake City is likely to change from rain to snow on Sunday or Sunday night. How fast that transition occurs will determine how much snow the valley receives.
Snow could spread into the Northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley Sunday night.
This round of snow and rain won't be nearly as heavy as the last few in the Pacific Northwest, but a few spots from the Cascades to the Colorado Rockies could pick up a foot or more of snow.
Some lowland locations in Washington and Oregon west of the Cascades could pick up more than an inch of rain.
Monday& Monday NightThe work week might start with accumulating snow from Minnesota into northern Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. It's too early to determine whether any of this snowfall will be heavy.
Rain is expected from the mid-Mississippi Valley into western Ohio, with a mix of rain in snow from central Iowa into southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and southern Michigan.
A snowy Monday is also possible along the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado, including Denver.
Tuesday & Tuesday NightThis system will head toward the East on Tuesday.
Rain is expected from the waterlogged South to much of the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast.
The greatest chance for snowfall, and perhaps some ice, will be from parts of the northern Great Lakes to northern New England. A mix of rain and snow is possible from the eastern Great Lakes into portions of southern New England.
Colder temperatures will also return to the central and eastern U.S. after this system's cold front passes through Tuesday into Wednesday.
Some of this moisture may be left over across the South into the end of the next week bringing more unwanted rain from Texas to Georgia. Some snow may mix in across the northern fringe of this area, but it is too soon to know if or where that will occur.
It's too early to provide specific forecast totals for snow or rain east of the Rockies.
However, most areas from North Dakota into Michigan can expect generally light snowfall. Some areas of northern New York and northern New England could see moderate to heavy snowfall. Most areas of the South will see light rainfall but pockets of moderate rainfall could develop and exacerbate ongoing flooding.
Check back to weather.com for updates over the next few days.
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