Spring snowstorm to bury Rockies, northern Plains as temperatures plummet

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

A snowstorm will threaten difficult travel across portions of the Rockies and northern Plains as cold air plunges back in later this week.

Building warmth with highs in the 60s and 70s F into midweek should not fool residents into putting snow shovels and winter clothing away just yet.

Temperatures will plummet 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit by Thursday and Friday as cold air wraps in behind a strengthening storm system across the nation's midsection.

For example, temperatures in Cheyenne, Wyoming, will be plunged into the 30s on Friday after Wednesday's high nears the daily record of 72. 

"Areas from southern Montana and Wyoming to western Nebraska are likely to receive the most snow," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.

The snow will sweep through the Interstate 90 corridor of southern Montana on Thursday before reaching the I-25 and I-80 corridors of eastern Wyoming and Nebraska on Friday.

For parts of Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and South Dakota, precipitation can begin in the form of rain before colder air sweeps in and causes a changeover to snow.

Bozeman and Billings, Montana, to Casper and Cheyenne, Wyoming; Rapid City, South Dakota; and Scottsbluff and North Platte, Nebraska, are among the communities where shovels and plows may be needed to remove several inches of snow.

"Local amounts close to a foot will be possible over the various ranges and foothills," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. 

Disruptions to travel and daily routines can occur.

Download the free AccuWeather app to see just how much snow is expected to fall in your area.

At this point in the year, snow must fall at a fast enough pace during the daylight hours in order to stick on paved surfaces.

AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned snowfall rates will be high enough with this event for roads and sidewalks to become snow-covered even during the daytime.

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As the snow initially falls, roadways will be wet due to warmth stored in the pavement. However, as the pace of the snow increases and cold air plunges in, roadway conditions can turn slippery in a hurry.

While the heaviest snow is expected to fall north of the Denver metro area, plunging temperatures and a period of light snow on Friday can create slippery travel.

Although winds will not be nearly as strong as the bomb cyclone from earlier in March, locally gusty weather can create reduced visibility at times.

This storm will tack on to the already impressive March snowfall for the area, with snow totals running 150-310 percent higher than normal in parts of Wyoming and Nebraska.

Scottsbluff, which receives 6.3 inches of snow on average in March, has picked up nearly four times this amount thus far.

"Some of this new snow and remaining older snow from the winter eventually will melt and join the high water levels along the Missouri River in the coming days and weeks," Sosnowski said.

Rain and thunderstorms along the southeastern flank of the stormwill add to the flooding woes across the Central states. 

As this storm spreads eastward during the last weekend of March, there is the potential for a stripe of snow to extend from portions of Iowa to Wisconsin and Michigan.

Regardless of how much snow falls along this swath, the Midwest will be plunged into a chilly end to March and beginning of April behind the storm.