Weather Outside Your Window: 200 million in path of ‘potentially historic' spring storm closing in on central US

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

A satellite loop shows a large storm moving across the interior West on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (NOAA)

A major storm will target the central United States with a wide array of travel-disrupting weather conditions around the middle of the week.

After first sweeping through the West, the storm will rapidly strengthen across the nation's heartland around Wednesday and Thursday, bringing everything from damaging winds to heavy snow, rain and a renewed risk of severe weather.

All told, 200 million people in the U.S. lie in the path of this intense spring storm that may be second only in strength to the "bomb cyclone" that hit much of the same area about a month earlier.

The National Weather Service is warning it could be "a potentially historic storm."

The storm's final stop will be across the Northeast, but with a less severe impact as rain and thunderstorms sweep through the region later this week.

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Travel-snarling blizzard may unfold over North Central states

A swath of heavy snow is likely to set up where cold air pours into the northwestern flank of the storm.

Temperatures can plummet upwards of 30 degrees Fahrenheit from Tuesday to Wednesday across the northern Plains, forcing residents to trade in short sleeves and sunglasses for winter gear and snow shovels in a hurry.

After first pummeling the Rockies with fresh powder, the snowstorm will sweep northeastward into portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Depending on the exact track of the storm, snow could extend as far south as Kansas. North Dakota, less the southernmost counties, may miss the brunt of this storm.

"In the swath of heaviest snow, disruptions to travel, including flight cancellations and road closures, are likely," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

"This has the potential to include the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area as well Wednesday night into Thursday night," he added.

A large swath of a foot of snow or more is forecast from the northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest. Within this zone, from 1-2 feet of snow are forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches, most likely in South Dakota, western Nebraska and southwestern Minnesota.

The snow will be heavy and wet in nature, making it difficult to remove from driveways and sidewalks.

"Snow may also streak well ahead of the main storm center along a narrow swath into the Great Lakes at midweek," AccuWeather Meteorologist Randy Adkins said.

Motorists with plans to travel along stretches of interstates 25, 29, 35, 80, 90 and 94 should be mindful of the fact that snowy, slippery and difficult travel can impact a portion of their journey.

The area along I-90 in South Dakota, eastward to Minnesota and westward to part of Wyoming can be especially hard-hit with high winds, blinding snow and road closures.

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 in the corridor of heaviest snow for roads and sidewalks to become snow-covered, even during the daytime.

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 treacherous in a hurry.

Blizzard conditions can ensue as winds strengthen around the storm, adding further difficulties for road and air travelers.

"This may not be your typical blizzard with dry, powdery snow for all of the snow area in the Plains and Upper Midwest," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "But, this may be more of a plastering effect with heavy, wet snow that is difficult to shovel and plow."

Strong winds to threaten damage, hazardous travel

The broad nature of the storm will cause winds to be stirred across a majority of the Central states, with gusts frequenting 40-60 mph. The strongest winds will whip through the central and southern Plains on Wednesday.

An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 90 mph is possible across the Front Range and High Plains from far southeastern Wyoming through eastern New Mexico and the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.

Such winds can break tree limbs, down power lines, cause property damage, add turbulence to flights and flip over high-profile vehicles.

The winds will create a high risk of wildfires where dry weather prevails in the southern Plains. Even in areas where the topsoil is moist, dry, dead brush left over from the winter can easily ignite. Any fire that starts can spread at an alarming rate in the howling winds.

Sections of interstates 25 and 27 will be subject to the most dangerous crosswinds.

On Thursday, strong winds will continue with the storm over parts of the High Plains and will also extend farther to the east over parts of the Midwest.

Lakeshore flooding will be possible across the Great Lakes.

A narrow swath of soaking rain and severe thunderstorms will will sweep through portions of the central U.S. that continue to deal with river flooding, including Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois.

The greatest risk for severe weather is forecast from parts of the central Plains on Wednesday to parts of the middle Mississippi and Ohio River valleys on Thursday.

This storm will eventually impact the Northeast at late week. However, since the storm will be weakening and lifting into Canada by then, manageable rain, wind and non-severe thunderstorms are forecast.

Continue to check back with AccuWeather in the coming days for further details on the impacts of this major storm.