Weather

A dynamic early-winter storm tracks across the Heartland; a wide-range of weather, strong winds

Across the Corn Belt, the upper Great Lakes region is experiencing increasingly windy weather, along with a gradual transition from rain to snow.  Elsewhere in the Midwest, mild, showery, windy weather in advance of a strong cold front is eroding a previously stubborn snow cover that in some cases has been on the ground for 3 weeks.

On the Plains, an elevated grassfire threat exists from northern Texas into southern Nebraska, amid an ongoing high wind event that could feature gusts as high as 70 mph.  Some of the highest winds are blasting Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.  Farther north, a Blizzard Warning is in effect for much of North Dakota and portions of neighboring states, due to snow driven by wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph.  The blizzard is resulting in livestock stress and travel disruptions.

In the South, rain—mainly east of the Mississippi Delta—is providing beneficial moisture in areas still experiencing drought, including northern Florida and central and southern sections of Alabama and Georgia.  Throughout the region, mild air has replaced previously cool conditions, with Thursday’s high temperatures expected to reach 80°F or higher in southern Texas and peninsular Florida.

In the West, exceptionally stormy weather from the northern Pacific Coast to the northern Rockies includes heavy rain, high-elevation snow, and damaging winds.  Across the Northwest, well over 100,000 customers are without electricity, following the latest barrage.  Farther south, warm, dry weather prevails from California to the southern Rockies.