Weather

Ice storm, snow to shift from the southern Plains to the upper Midwest

The last in a series of Pacific storms will drift eastward, reaching the southern Rockies late in the weekend. Meanwhile, cold air will blanket all areas but the South, setting the stage for a major ice storm. Freezing rain, which has already begun from the southern Plains into the lower Midwest, will intensify and spread northward during the next couple of days. Significant, potentially damaging ice accumulations can be expected in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and environs on Saturday, spreading into eastern Nebraska, northern Missouri, and portions of Iowa by Sunday. Wintry precipitation will also extend eastward to parts of the Mid-Atlantic States. Snow could become heavy late in the weekend across the central and southern Rockies and central High Plains, while locally heavy rain may occur from Texas into the mid-South. By early next week, a new round of storms will deliver heavy precipitation to the Pacific Northwest.

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for near- to above-normal temperatures and precipitation across most of the nation. Cooler-than-normal conditions should be limited to southern California, while drier-than-normal weather will be confined to parts of the south-central U.S.

5-Day Precipitation Totals

NOAA’s 6- to 10- Day Outlook

NOAA’s 8- to 14- Day Outlook