Winter storm to bring snow, sleet, ice from central Plains to Mid-Atlantic in coming days
The latest – and last – in a string of February winter storms is expected to track from the central Plains to the Mid-Mississippi Valley Tuesday before moving east into the southern Mid-Atlantic Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service said "widespread upslope snowfall" is expected across the northern Rockies and into the High Plains Tuesday before a jet stream takes the storm eastward into eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri by Tuesday evening.
"There is a good chance of seeing 6 inches to locally a foot of new snow by the time the snow tapers off Wednesday morning in these areas," NWS forecasters said Tuesday morning, adding that a swath of sleet and freezing rain can also be expected in the southern portion of these states Tuesday afternoon and evening.
"This is only the first leg of the storm, with a second and heavier round of snow [and ice] to set up farther to the south over the Plains with a reach into the mid-Mississippi Valley from Tuesday to Wednesday," AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said Tuesday. "The storm will tap Gulf moisture into midweek, causing the snow area to expand and become heavier."
A heavy and plowable snowstorm is in store for Topeka and Wichita, Kansas; St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Fort Smith, Arkansas, according to AccuWeather, which will result in substantial travel disruptions.
On Wednesday, the storm is expected to spread eastward across the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians, moving into the Mid-Atlantic by Wednesday night.
"Areas from eastern Kentucky to southern West Virginia are expected to receive 4-6+ inches of snow while southeastern Virginia/northeastern North Carolina, and possibly into the eastern shores, could see 8+ inches," according to the NWS.
Little Rock, Arkansas, and Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, can expect 1-3 inches of snow while much of Kentucky will pick up 3-6 inches of snow, AccuWeather said Tuesday.
Some sleet and ice can also be expected from the interior Deep South to portions of the Carolinas.
Gulf Coast, parts of Florida could see thunderstorms, heavy rain
The weather service said the center of the low-pressure wave is expected to track just off the Gulf Coast with rain and some thunderstorms expected from eastern Texas into Louisiana through Tuesday night, then across the rest of the Gulf Coast and Southeast, including the northern half of Florida, on Wednesday.
"Locally heavy rain and isolated instances of flash flooding as possible along the Gulf Coast," the NWS said Tuesday.
Record cold temperatures expected across Plains, Gulf Coast this week
In addition to the snow, sleet, and rain, temperatures are forecast to drop well below zero from Montana and the Dakotas to the upper Midwest and portions of the central Plains due to arctic air related to a polar vortex, according to the weather service
Wind chills are expected to reach "dangerously cold levels" between -30 and -60 in these areas, with high temperatures expected to remain in the single digits for the next couple of afternoons in the central Plains.
"By Thursday morning, the arctic air will reach the Gulf Coast where temperatures are forecast to dip below freezing with numerous low temperature records expected to be broken from the central Plains southward to the Gulf Coast," the NWS said Tuesday. "Be sure to dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside."
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.