CHICAGO – Winter weather alerts are in effect from the Plains to the Midwest ahead of another major winter storm, which could blast cities such as Chicago and Milwaukee with blizzard conditions, including heavy snow and strong winds.
This latest round of winter weather comes days after a deadly winter storm slammed the central U.S. and brought nearly a foot of snow and whiteout conditions to parts of the Plains.
Major cities in the Midwest were able to escape the wrath of that storm but won’t be as fortunate this time around.
“I’m looking at the computer models, and I think it’s down to a 971-millibar low, which is strong,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen said. “It’s stronger than the one that just went through the Northeast; it got down into the low 980s. So, the deeper the pressure, the stronger the storm.”
The FOX Forecast Center says the storm will dump snow on the Four Corners region on Thursday and continue to strengthen as it takes aim at the Midwest.
The storm will move into the Chicago and Milwaukee areas by Friday and could produce snowfall rates exceeding 1 inch per hour.
Winds, too, will create dangerous conditions that will likely snarl travel for those on the roads and hoping to catch a flight at airports in the Midwest, like Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW).
CHICAGO BRACES FOR POSSIBLE BLIZZARD THIS WEEK AFTER DODGING RECENT SNOW
The FOX Forecast Center says an increasingly sharp pressure gradient will develop between the strengthening winter storm and a building area of arctic air, leading to strong winds and possible blizzard conditions across the region.
“We’re going to see winds here cranking to 45 to 50 mph, along with heavily falling snow,” Van Dillen said. “Blizzard conditions are going to be a possibility.”
WHAT MAKES A BLIZZARD DIFFERENT FROM AN ORDINARY SNOWSTORM?
The National Weather Service has placed millions of Americans from the Plains to the Midwest and Great Lakes region under winter weather alerts as the storm picks up steam and takes aim at the region.
Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for eastern Nebraska, extreme southeastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota, most of Iowa, northwestern Missouri, northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin.
Winter Storm Watches have been issued farther east across most of Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as northeastern Illinois, including Chicago.
HOW MUCH SNOW WILL AN INCH OF RAIN PRODUCE?
The concern about blizzard conditions in the region is growing, and the National Weather Service could issue Blizzard Warnings later on Thursday.
If Blizzard Warnings are issued for the city of Chicago, it would be the first time that has happened in about five years (Nov. 26, 2018). The city of Milwaukee has not been under a Blizzard Warning in nearly 13 years (Feb. 1, 2011).
HERE’S WHY ‘BLIZZARD ALLEY’ IS IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS
Heavy snow is likely across the region, and the highest totals are forecast north and east of Chicago.
Snowfall totals between 5 and 8 inches are forecast for cities like Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa.
Those who live and work farther north should prepare for higher totals.
Many cities in Wisconsin could see snowfall totals higher than a foot, and some could approach nearly 2 feet of snow.
Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Sturgeon Bay could see snowfall totals between 12 and 18 inches, with locally higher amounts.
The state’s capital city of Madison could see lower amounts of between 8 and 12 inches of snow.
As if the snow won’t make conditions miserable enough, millions of Americans will need to brace for a bitter blast of frigid air that moves in from Canada.
“And this is the storm that really unlocks the arctic cold that comes in behind it,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said. “So, get ready for this flash freeze that’s going to happen in the weekend.”
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High temperatures in the northern Plains will plummet well below zero, with cities like Bismarck, North Dakota, falling to about 10 degrees below zero.
Minneapolis will only see a high temperature in the lower teens, and Des Moines in Iowa will be shivering with a high temperature of about 5 degrees.
Chicago could be a “balmy” 27 degrees as we head into the first part of the weekend.