Winter Storm Could Bring More Than 10 Inches of Snow to These Regions
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Many people who live in colder regions expect the frigid temperatures that come along with wintertime. But while watching the mercury dip can be memorable, most look at total snowfall to gauge how rough a particular year’s season has been. Even those who are accustomed to shoveling and getting around in the white stuff can still struggle when particularly bad blizzards roll through. And this week, another winter storm could bring more than 10 inches of snow to some areas. Read on to see which places will be affected and how much snow you can expect in your region.
RELATED: “Polar Vortex Disruption” Will Send U.S. Temps Plummeting—Here’s When .
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Over the past few days, California has been dealing with a deluge of record-breaking rain brought on by an atmospheric river . A slow-moving storm soaked the southern regions of the state, bringing catastrophic flooding and mudslides to the area, NBC News reports.
As a less heavy bout of rain continued to douse the area on Wednesday, the city said it had received six to 12 inches of precipitation since the weekend. Meteorologists say the storm picked up strength when undergoing a massive low-pressure drop known as “bombogenesis,” turning it into what is known as a bomb cyclone just before it made landfall, per NBC News.
“Even though the rain may ease up a bit today, this storm continues, and that means we still need Angelenos to take precautions,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters during a news conference.
The storm also caused serious damage further north in the San Francisco Bay area , bringing heavy winds and rains that have led to landslides, the BBC reports. But now, the storm system is moving on to other parts of the U.S.
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The atmospheric river moisture hasn’t completely dried out yet. On Feb. 7, a series of winter weather warnings went out regarding more than 400,000 square kilometers of the Western U.S., The Weather Channel reported.
In a Feb. 7 forecast, meteorologist Domenica Davis said the wet weather would transition from rain to snow as it hit colder air at higher elevations . The expansive area is expected to see “significant” snowy conditions through early Friday morning in some places.
RELATED: 10 Ways to Prepare Your Home for a Snowstorm, According to Experts .
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So far, snow has already hit the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California, with winter storm warnings in effect for the south end of the range through 10 a.m. PST on Feb. 8, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The agency warns that the area could see a total of one to two feet of accumulation at higher elevations.
Parts of the Southeastern desert will see rain, including in southern Arizona and Nevada. Las Vegas was also contending with a serious soaking on Wednesday ahead of hosting the Super Bowl this weekend, Fox Weather reports.
Higher elevations in northern New Mexico could also see significant accumulation. Taos can expect snow through Wednesday, with flurries lingering the following day, per The Weather Channel.
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Snow will also hit Utah in the coming days. Much of the state can expect one to five inches of snowfall, The Weather Channel reports. There’s currently a winter storm warning in effect through 5 a.m. MST on Thursday for the Wasatch Mountain region south of I-80 and Western Uinta Mountains, where eight to 16 inches is expected to fall, per the NWS.
Western parts of Colorado will also see snowfall, with one to five inches in the forecast for most areas. Mountains and higher elevations in the southwestern part of the state could see up to 18 inches, according to The Weather Channel.
Areas further north could also get some of the white stuff. Northern Idaho may see up to three inches fall, while most of Montana and North Dakota might see anywhere from one to five inches, The Weather Channel reports.
- Source: NWS: Watches, Warnings, & Advisories
“Arctic Blast” and Widespread Snow Predicted for Next Month—Here’s Where
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The kickoff to 2024 has served as a reminder of just how severe winter weather can get. From freezing temperatures to devastating flooding , few regions have been spared since January began. But with several weeks to go before spring kicks in, meteorologists have already predicted there could be another “arctic blast” and more widespread snow next month. Read on to see why conditions could get so extreme in February and what regions the weather could affect the most.
RELATED: Polar Vortex Could Bring “Severe Winter Weather” to the U.S.—Here’s When .
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The frigid temperatures that swept across the nation earlier this month were a jolting reminder that winter had arrived. However, the colder-than-usual conditions were actually the result of a weather pattern known as the “polar vortex.”
The term refers to a counterclockwise flow of air that keeps a block of low pressure and cold air at the planet’s poles in place, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS). Occasionally, it descends into the continental U.S.—and meteorologists say this explains why so many regions woke up to freezing conditions earlier this month.
“It appears as though the minor [vortex] warming during the first week of January and the subsequent destruction of the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere were enough to at least help set the stage for the cold air outbreak over North America this past weekend,” Climate.gov wrote.
RELATED: Weather Predictions Keep Changing—What the Unpredictable Shifts Mean for You .
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Even as last week’s cold snaps have reversed course into some unseasonably warm weather , it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last arctic blast of the winter . According to a blog post by Judah Cohen , an atmospheric scientist and director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), the polar vortex is a “rapidly transitioning situation” that will “come down to rinse, lather, repeat.”
Cohen explained his reasoning during an interview with Fox Weather on Jan. 23, where he also outlined how he believes the forecast will play out in the coming weeks. However, the next cold wave might start off with the opposite weather you expect.
“For the first half of January, that polar vortex kind of stumbled and fell foul there, moved south. We had the arctic outbreak,” Cohen told the network. “But now it’s, it’s back together, let’s say, and, it’s a very tight spin, rotation of the polar vortex. All the cold air is receding back towards the North Pole, and we’re going to have a milder end of the month of January.”
RELATED: 7 Ways to Winter-Proof Your Car, According to Experts .
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However, the rising mercury may end up being a red herring for what’s to come.
“We’re probably going to see a record warm, like we had that happen in December,” Cohen told Fox Weather in his near-term prediction. “But I do think then, often when you have these Canadian warmings, the polar vortex then tends to transition into a very large disruption called a sudden stratospheric warming or a stretching event, like a rubber band (pulling cold air south).”
Cohen told the network that these very conditions are what created this month’s frigid conditions, and he believes there’s a “good chance” it will repeat itself next month.
“I think in the time frame of the second week of February and even possibly mid-February a stretched polar vortex is becoming more likely,” he told Fox Weather. “This should help end the very mild pattern in place across North America. The intensity and duration of cold weather associated with the stretched polar vortex is yet to be determined.”
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Dealing with another blast of freezing temperatures may be par for the course as far as winter is concerned. But Cohen also says some regions could see more snow and extreme weather head their way as another variable affects conditions.
Weather forecasts still consider the effects of El Niño in the winter, which describes a patch of warmer-than-average water off the coast of South America. Typically, it generates wetter weather in the West while bringing more mild, less snowy conditions to the East Coast, according to National Geographic . But as the season progresses, the weakening warmth could bring about a drastic change on top of the polar vortex.
“As far as El Niño, I do think that less than strong is better for snow and cold in the East,” Cohen told The Washington Post in an email.
Altogether, Cohen believes those who are hoping for an early start to spring will be disappointed by what’s likely coming. “I don’t think it’s the end of winter,” he told Fox Weather. “I think it’s not a breakdown of the pattern, but I think a relaxing pattern.”
- Source: NWS: What Is the Polar Vortex?
- Source: NOAA Climate.gov: The polar vortex is acting up
