Clipper System Blasts Central, Eastern U.S. With Winter Impacts
With origins in the Pacific Northwest, a clipper storm system moving over the Great Lakes today brings rain, snow, and particularly high winds through the Atlantic Coastline before the weekend begins.
This low pressure system previously battered the Northwest earlier this week with blizzard conditions in the Cascades, gusts breaking well over 65 mph, deluging rain totals toward the Pacific, and heavy mountain snow. After exiting the Rockies Wednesday night, it will begin to regather today as it aims eastward.
Rainfall totals start off small across the Midwest through later tonight, with up to an inch in the Lower Ohio River Basin. Snow totals of 2 to 5 inches will pile onto the Canadian border of the northern Plains as well as shores leeward of the Great Lakes in Michigan. Just a coating of snow is expected for other areas near the Great Lakes heading into Friday morning after transitioning to snow overnight.
Blizzard Warnings cover eastern South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska through far northwestern Minnesota. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are also in effect for the rest of Minnesota, northern Iowa, western Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and western portions of the Lower Peninsula.
Wind gusts, however, will be the most dangerous aspect of the clipper. Its rapid jets of wind just above the surface will mix toward the ground both under heavier showers and behind the clipper as high pressure tails it. Rapid wind gusts from 50 to 75 mph will whip over parts of the north-central Plains today, enabling blizzard conditions today. These winds will lighten through early Friday but remain high with gusts of 35 to 45 mph, buffeting locales near the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes.
High Wind Watches and Warnings are posted for the Front Range and Great Plains, with Wind Advisories in effect for the Midwest.
The storm amplifies on Friday, where its greatest impacts strike the East Coast and more particularly, the Northeast. Rain totals between 0.5 to 1 inch will be common across the Southeast. Higher rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches, and locally higher amounts, will batter the Northeast corridor from the Washington, D.C., metro area to Maine's Canadian border.
Rain shortly turns to snow on Friday behind the clipper's cold front, with 1 to 3 inches of blanketing snow packing onto the central Appalachian spine, the mid-elevations of the Adirondacks, and the Green and White mountains of New England. Snow totals of 3 to 6 inches will fall east of Lakes Erie and Ontario, enhanced by weak lake effect snow bands.
A few Winter Weather Advisories have been issued east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
High winds will still be the main course on Friday across the East Coast. In Maine and along the Northeast's Atlantic coastline, gusts of 45 to 60 mph or higher are expected, with most impacts Friday morning. A few thunderstorms are also possible near the coast Friday morning, which could reel in stronger gusts and create a severe weather threat for the nation's most populous I-95 corridor. Threats of impactful gusts will thankfully decrease through the day, albeit slowly.
High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are also already posted for the Appalachian Spine, a few parts of the Southeast and the entire Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Be sure to download the WeatherBug app to stay up to date on the latest on this changing weather. It’s never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries, and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage.