Dangerously cold temperatures have been gripping the Upper Midwest ahead of a storm poised to deliver several inches of snow in the coming days. Simultaneously, schools and officials in the Northeast are bracing for their own bout of wintry weather. A closer look at the expected snowfall and the overall weather pattern reveals a complex system affecting a large swath of the United States.
A wind chill advisory blanketed North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, extending into parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and these advisories persisted through Thursday morning and beyond. The biting cold has already claimed at least one life, with a 34-year-old woman succumbing to hypothermia in St. Paul, Minnesota, after being found on Monday amidst temperatures that plummeted to 3 below zero and wind chills reaching minus 19.
In western Wisconsin, Thursday morning’s wind chills were anticipated to range from 15 to 30 degrees below zero. The National Weather Service predicted that several inches of snow would begin tracking into the region starting Friday and continuing into Saturday. In response to the frigid conditions, several warming shelters have been opened to provide refuge from the cold.
Low temperatures in Fargo, North Dakota, were expected to hover around minus 12 on Thursday, while Duluth, Minnesota, anticipated an overnight low of minus 5.
As the arctic air moves northeast, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy activated the state’s severe cold-weather protocol on Thursday, directing state police and other agencies to collaborate with shelters and community groups to protect vulnerable residents. Malloy also urged communities to establish warming centers.
Public safety officials in Vermont cautioned residents to limit their time outdoors on Thursday and Friday due to dangerously low wind chills forecast at 35 below. In upstate New York, some schools and government offices closed early in anticipation of lake-effect snow expected to accumulate 1 to 2 feet.
Much of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will experience continued cold conditions for the next couple of days as the arctic air remains entrenched over the northern Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service.
This weather system is expected to bring widespread snowfall from the Great Lakes to the Northeast on Thursday. The central U.S. will remain dry but cold.
Below-normal temperatures are expected to persist this weekend and into Monday across the entire northern half of the country, stretching from the Pacific Northwest to Maine and as far south as Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Virginia, as indicated by the Climate Prediction Center.
Up to half a foot of snow could blanket areas from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Northeast on Friday and Saturday. Regions east of the Appalachian Mountains could experience freezing rain and sleet on Saturday.
Another arctic air mass following on the heels of this cold front is expected to drive temperatures in the northern Plains to as much as 24 degrees below normal over the weekend and into early next week, according to Climate Prediction Center forecaster Stephen Baxter.
In summary, the Upper Midwest and Northeast are facing a significant winter weather event. Residents should prepare for dangerously cold temperatures, significant snowfall, and potential travel disruptions. Stay informed with the latest weather updates from the National Weather Service and heed the warnings of local officials.
