Winter Storm 2021: Snow and Ice Making a Home in Large Area of Nation

Posted: January 25, 2021 4:42 pm

It is going to be a rough start to the new week throughout much of the central Plains to the Ohio Valley, thanks to a strong and massive winter storm pushing through the region.

Messy Start to Week: The multifaceted storm system is set to bring snow and ice to a large stretch of the central and Eastern US. Two sections of the storm will converge to deliver a powerful one-two punch to much of the country. This will lead to significant travel disruptions in many of the country’s largest cities and on major interstates.

Both interstates 70 and 80 will see a messy mix of snow and ice throughout the Midwest and into the mid-Atlantic through at least Tuesday. The Monday evening commute could be dicey in the nation’s capital and through Baltimore as snow begins to fall and stick. This same band of precipitation is expected to hit New York City and Philadelphia by Tuesday morning, causing havoc on the roads and in the air.

Chicago to Get Hit: Those people in Chicagoland should brace for a potentially slow commute home on Monday and again on Tuesday morning. While the Chicago area is currently below average for snowfall amounts, this may change after this storm moves through. The Windy City could see up to one foot of snow by the time the system exits on late Tuesday.

Other Midwest Cities in the Path: Omaha, Nebraska and Des Moines, Iowa are expected to take the brunt of the snowfall. Isolated amounts of up to 18 inches may be possible through Tuesday. While it looks like Kansas City may escape significant snowfall accumulation, the city may experience precipitation in the form of dangerous ice.

In addition to treacherous travel conditions, the ice storm may lead to widespread power outages. Other cities in the line of fire for ice accumulation include Indianapolis, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. Keep in mind that even a small accumulation of ice can lead to dangerous driving conditions.

Where Will Ice be the Biggest Factor? Although many areas of the country are at risk of seeing a coating of ice, the biggest threat will come to parts of the central Appalachians. This includes the areas of northwestern Virginia, western Maryland, and northeastern West Virginia. The hardest hit areas could see up to half of an inch of ice. This amount of ice will almost certainly weigh down trees and cause power outages.

Big Apple Weather: All eyes will also be on New York City, an area set up to receive snow by the time the system moves off into the Atlantic Ocean. While Monday will primarily see precipitation falling as rain, this will likely change to snow on Tuesday. There is a good chance that this system will put New York City over its average amount of total snowfall by this time in the year.

New Snow Later in the Week: A second system will move through a little bit farther south by the middle of the week. This system is expected to bring snow to southeastern Missouri and northern Arkansas. The system will then track through Kentucky and northern Tennessee. Forecasters warn that if the storm moves just slightly to the north, parts of southern Indiana and Ohio may also see snow. Likewise, if the system dips south, areas as far as Nashville may see the white stuff. This storm is not expected to bring more than three inches of new accumulation and will move through at a relatively high speed.

More Storms Off of the Pacific: This powerful system is just the start of what is shaping up to be an active storm pattern through the end of the month. Meteorologists are predicting more storms to form off of the West Coast and begin to push eastward. These systems will set up the potential for more snow and ice events throughout the Midwest and on into the East Coast.

Snow in Southern California: Parts of Southern California were treated to a rare snowfall event when flakes began to fly over the weekend in Malibu. The last time that Malibu had seen snow was 14 years ago. In addition to the light dusting of snowfall, hail was reported in some areas of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

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