North-central US braces for first blizzard of the season
Winter is coming.
The first blizzard of the 2022-23 winter season is forecast to paste portions of the north-central U.S. with more than a foot of heavy snow, howling winds and whiteout conditions by Thursday, forecasters warned.
Parts of North and South Dakota as well as portions of Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska were in the path of the storm.
“This will be the first major snowstorm of the season for the northern Plains and the combination of heavy snow, powerful winds and low visibility will result in hazardous travel,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brian Wimer said Wednesday. The National Weather Service also warned of significant snowfall accumulations and strong, gusty winds across the Dakotas.
Travel will be difficult to impossible across the region, the Weather Service warned.
“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you,” the Weather Service in Bismarck, North Dakota, said. “Notify a friend or family member of your travel plans. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.”
AccuWeather said cities such as Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota, and Rapid City, South Dakota, could experience blizzard conditions as winds whip across the region Thursday night into Friday with blowing and drifting snow.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson said any unnecessary travel is not advised in this region, especially later Thursday through Friday morning.
A meteorological blizzard
A blizzard has a specific definition, according to the National Weather Service, though in popular usage in the United States and Britain it means any heavy snowstorm accompanied by strong winds. A blizzard means that the following conditions are expected to prevail for three hours or longer:
⬤ Sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 mph or greater.
⬤ Considerable falling and/or blowing snow that reduces visibility frequently to less than a quarter mile.
On the southern side of the storm, as it intensifies Thursday, there will be a threat for severe thunderstorms across portions of the Midwest, AccuWeather said. The Storm Prediction Center said damaging winds should be the main threat, but a brief tornado could develop.
The storm is the same one that brought rain, mountain snow and cold air to California through early Wednesday, forecasters said. It caused flooding across California, leaving one person dead and two missing after they were swept away in a canal.