A winter storm tracking from the West to the Plains will bring widespread high winds that could kick up blowing dust and a high fire danger, while also contributing to possible blizzard conditions in part of one region.
The wintry side of this system has been named Winter Storm Marisol by The Weather Channel. On the warm side of the storm, we expect a severe thunderstorm outbreak to unfold Friday through the weekend in the Midwest, South and East.
(MORE: Severe Outbreak Forecast)
Widespread High Wind Threat
The most far-reaching impact from this storm in the West and Plains will be its widespread high winds, even in areas that don’t see snow or rain. The National Weather Service has issued high wind alerts in much of the Plains, as shown below. These alerts include Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Kansas City and Chicago.
Here’s a look at the timing and possible impacts.
-Thursday: The strongest winds will be in the Southwest, and that might lead to blowing dust in the region. Fire danger will increase through the central and southern High Plains.
-Friday: Much of the Plains, Midwest and parts of the Southwest will see high winds gusting over 40 or 50 mph. Gusts might top 60 or even 70 mph in parts of Southern Plains, generally in areas covered by NWS high wind alerts. Downed trees and limbs, power outages and high-profile vehicles blown off roads are all possible in the areas covered by the high wind alerts.
These winds could also kick up more blowing dust leading to sharp, sudden reductions in visibility. It could also fan any fires that start into rapidly spreading wildfires that could threaten buildings. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is warning of “extreme fire-weather conditions” Friday from parts of western Texas into southern Kansas, including parts of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita.
-Weekend: The Midwest as well as parts of the Northern and Southern Plains will see strong winds Saturday. There is some chance the East could see strong, gusty winds as the cold front brings rain to the region Sunday.
Timing The Winter Storm
The storm is pushing its rain and mountain snow through the West, including California, right now.
Recent burn areas in Southern California could see localized flooding and a threat of shallow debris flows. Heavy snow will pile up in the Sierra Nevada and other mountain areas, potentially snarling travel through some passes.
Snow from this storm will spread across the Rockies Thursday and Thursday night, lingering into Friday. Right behind it, another storm will bring more rain and mountain snow to California and the Pacific Northwest Thursday night through Friday.
Meanwhile, snow or rain changing to snow from Winter Storm Marisol will also develop in the Northern Plains Friday night through Saturday, including parts of northern Nebraska the eastern Dakotas and western and northern Minnesota.
There may be a very narrow swath of 6 inches or more of snow in that general zone. But the bigger concern is high winds in combination with the snowfall could whip-up blizzard conditions in spots, leading to dangerous travel conditions, particularly along stretches of Interstates 29, 90 and 94 in these areas.
