On Monday, Dec. 8, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wide range of winter weather warnings for the U.S., from 14 inches of snow in certain areas of the country to atmospheric rivers in others.
The winter storm warnings say to expect an upwards of 14 inches of snow from Monday, Dec. 8, until Wednesday, Dec. 10, making conditions “hazardous.”
According to research from the National Weather Service, the worst impacted areas include Wyoming, Montana, Virginia, Alaska, Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, Washington, North Carolina and Illinois, with the NWS stating to “plan on slippery road conditions,” especially when the roads are iced over in the morning and at night.
Extreme Snow in Certain Areas of the U.S.
As for extremes, the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains around Wyoming and Montana are projected to get up to 2 feet of snow and 70 mph winds through Wednesday afternoon. In Michigan, an upwards of 8 inches of lake effect snow is projected to fall from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning. In Illinois, Lake and northern Cook counties are expected to get between 3 and 4 inches of snow through Tuesday morning, with the heaviest snow falling overnight Monday.
The AAA warns of driving in snow storms. “Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for travelers,” they note. “Winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.”
The AAA adds that, “Drivers should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. AAA urges drivers to be cautious while driving in adverse weather.”
Atmospheric River Warnings
The atmospheric river warning is for the Pacific Northwest, and it may bring floods, hazardous winds and rain. Atmospheric rivers are “relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“Although atmospheric rivers come in many shapes and sizes,” the NOAA adds, “those that contain the largest amounts of water vapor and the strongest winds can create extreme rainfall and floods, often by stalling over watersheds vulnerable to flooding.”
The West Coast tends to get the most atmospheric rivers during the winter, but it can hit other areas of the U.S., too.
According to meteorologists, a strong atmospheric river is impacting the Pacific Northwest on Monday and Tuesday, bringing “prolonged heavy rainfall along with gusty winds to the Pacific Northwest through much of this week.” Warnings for the atmospheric rivers have been placed across the Pacific Northwest, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
“Beginning this morning, rainfall coverage and intensity is expected to increase across coastal Washington and Oregon as a potent slug of subtropical moisture begins to flow inland along a strong Pacific jet,” the NWS said regarding the Pacific Northwest, adding that flash flooding is possible for the area through the middle of the week.
They added, “Rainfall aside, parts of the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Northern Plains and can also expect a period of gusty winds today and Tuesday as the same Pacific jet develops a strong clipper system in the Canadian Rockies.”
