Winter Storms Bring Snow, Wind, & Ice to West, Midwest

Two low pressure systems will bring a wintry scene to both the West and Midwest. 

The large low pressure system off the Pacific Coast is continuing the pummel the western states. Around 8 to 13 inches of snow has been reported so far in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades. In addition, there has been rockslides and mudslides occurring near major California highways and state routes. 

Winter Storm Watches/Warnings & Winter Weather Advisories will remain in effect this weekend from higher elevations in the Pacific Northwest to northeastern Montana. Elevations above 3000’ could see 1 to 2 feet of snow along with ice accretion, thanks to freezing rain.

For coastal North California, Flood Watches & Flood Warnings remain in effect as 1 to 2 inches of rain could continue to raise water levels for area creeks and streams and cause more rockslides. 

With sustained winds around 20 to 35 mph and gusts 50 to 70 mph, the National Weather Service has issued Wind Advisories & High Wind Warnings for parts of the west, most notably in California, northwestern Nevada, and southeastern Wyoming. 

This system will finally subside Sunday evening over the Northern Rockies. 

At the same time, a disturbance in the Midwest has prompted Winter Weather Advisories and Ice Storm Warnings to be issued today. The main concern will be ice accretions around a 0.10” to 0.35” from Nebraska and the eastern Dakotas to most of Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa are in the bullseye where most of the icing will occur along with gusts of 30 mph which would surely cause power outages. 

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of emergency. Be sure to have multiple ways to get the latest weather information from local TV, weather radio, or the WeatherBug app.