WEST MICHIGAN - A major winter storm is slamming the Central Plains, Midwest, and East Coast of the United States tonight and Monday! This system will not impact Michigan, but it will bring heavy snow, significant ice, and severe storms to the eastern half of the nation.
This system already brought blizzard conditions to parts of Kansas and western Missouri. Parts of Missouri have also received almost a foot of snow! Check out the map below, showing 24 hour snow totals. The purple and pink colors indicate over a foot to a foot and a half of accumulated snow. The highest totals were in eastern Kansas, western and eastern Missouri, and southwest Indiana.
Below is the next image of this storm system valid for 8 AM Monday. Notice the band of blue (heavy snow) and pink (ice) across several hundred miles. The Mid-Atlantic looks to get ice as the predominant precipitation type, with snow extending as far north as central Pennsylvania, the DelMarVa, and back through western Kentucky and Indiana.
The system is moving quickly, though. By the time Monday evening rolls around, the most active part of this system will be moving offshore. While some heavy snow will be ongoing, primarily in Appalachia and the Mid-Atlantic, the worst of the snow will be ending Monday afternoon for most.
Additional snow accumulation will be the highest from Washington, DC and northern Virginia back through eastern West Virginia, with an additional foot of snow possible. Snow through most of the Ohio Valley will be in the 4-8" range, with higher totals possible.
Our next image below shows ice accumulation through Monday at 6 PM. Just south of the heavy snow, there could be anywhere from .25" to .75" of ice in places. This is enough to cause power outages, bring down trees, and make travel very dangerous due to ice on the roads.
The Deep South also had heavy rain and numerous severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings from the warm side of this systems as the powerful cold front swept through the region. A lower end severe weather threat exists for southeast Alabama, south Georgia, and northern Florida Monday ahead of the cold front.
Any Michigan snowbirds driving south may want to rethink the trip. This storm will create major travel disruptions across a very wide area. At least it will miss our state! Get the complete West Michigan forecast at www.fox17online.com/weather.
