Winter and spring-like weather won’t be hard to find across the nation’s midsection to wrap up the weekend and begin the new workweek.
A complex storm will glide from the Great Lakes to eastern Canada through Monday, with a second area of low pressure forecast to develop today across the Lower Mississippi Valley along a cold front. The two will combine to deliver everything from winter to severe weather each day through Monday.
The storm’s northern fringe will be cold enough to deliver heavy snow and an icy mix from northern Minnesota into the Upper Great Lakes through Monday. Similar weather will then spread into Upstate New York and northern New England late tonight into predawn during Tuesday, though the higher totals will be limited to the Adirondack and White mountains.
Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect from a small part of eastern North Dakota to northern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Duluth and International Falls, Minn., Wausau and Green Bay, Wis., as well as Marquette and Alpena, Mich., are included.
Digging out of 2 to 9 inches of snow and up to one-tenth inch of ice accumulation, travel will be quite difficult near the U.S.-Canada border through Monday morning. Farther east, as little as a coating to 3 to 5 inches is forecast from Upstate New York to northern Maine late tonight into predawn on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the storm’s warm sector ahead of a sharp cold front will divide warm, humid air from cooler, much drier air. This set up may deliver multiple dangerous thunderstorms or a few lines of severe weather from western Tennessee to eastern Texas from this afternoon to predawn on Monday.
Tornado Watches are now in effect from central Missouri and northern Arkansas to western Kentucky, western Tennessee, and much of Louisiana. Cities such as Memphis, Tenn., Paducah, Ky., Marion, Ill., Little Rock, Ark., and St. Louis and Columbia, Mo., are under these watches. An additional Tornado Watch has also been issued for southern Arkansas, northeastern Louisiana, and west-central Mississippi, including Monroe, La., Pine Bluff, Ark., and Greenville, Miss.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of northwest Alabama, southeast Arkansas, northeast Louisiana and central Mississippi. Cities include Greeneville and Jackson, Miss., and Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Another Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of central Texas, which includes the cities of Austin, Waco and College Station, Tex.
A third Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of southern and east-central Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and east Texas. Cities include Lufkin, Tyler, and Longview, Tex., Shreveport and Monroe, La., and El Dorado and Pine Bluff, Ark.
Jackson and Memphis, Tenn., Greenville and Jackson, Miss., Shreveport, La., and Tyler and Longview, Texas, will be found in this severe weather danger zone. Damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph, quarter size hail or larger, and isolated tornadoes will be on the weather menu.
Other cities from Bowling-Green and Evansville, Ind., to Birmingham, Ala., and Little Rock, Ark., and Alexandria, La., to Waco and Austin, Texas, will need to keep a watchful eye to the sky for threatening weather as well.
The storm risk will shift farther south to near and along the central Gulf Coast to begin the workweek. New Orleans to Dothan, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., may rumble through until early Monday afternoon.
Locally intense rain will be part of the storm’s makeup as well, particularly this afternoon into early Monday morning. One to locally 3 inches will fall in a short time, which may lead to low-lying, urban flooding across parts of Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, and much of northern and central Mississippi. Remember, if you approach a flooded roadway, it is best to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”
The best way to remain safe is to stay prepared and informed about your local weather. Have a severe weather kit packed with a battery-operated radio, water and non-perishable food items should you be without power for long periods of time. Also, check the WeatherBug app frequently for any updates for today’s severe weather. Remember, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!”