Large parts of the US are facing major winter storms this week as two brutal weather systems look set to bring a torrent of snow and ice across much of the country.
The first, named Winter Storm Nancy by The Weather Channel, has triggered widespread winter weather alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) across the Dakotas and The Great Lakes, extending to several upper-Midwest states.
The storm is expected to send temperatures plummeting by up to 30 degrees and will deposit several inches of snow across the Midwest and Northeast.
A Weather Channel warning read: [‘Expect at least 6 inches of snowfall from portions of the Dakotas into much of Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin, northern Michigan and far northern Maine. Locally a foot or more of snow is possible in some areas.
‘This includes the Twin Cities, where this longer-lived snowfall could lead to hazardous morning and afternoon commutes Monday and Tuesday.
‘Some accumulations of freezing rain and/or sleet are also possible in parts of northern Iowa into southern Wisconsin, far northern Illinois, northern Lower Michigan and far northern New England.’
Nancy is set to be followed swiftly by Storm Oaklee, which will make landfall in the Southwest on Tuesday but is expected to track across the central US, gaining in strength as it does so, before bringing yet more snow and ice to the Midwest and Northeast at the end of the week.
The fresh winter storms represent yet more misery for millions of Americans who were battered by brutal weather systems late last week.
Alabama Power customers were without electricity on Thursday and Friday in the state amid tornadoes, while further north, 13,000 were without power in Tennessee; 14,000 in Kentucky; 16,000 in darkness in Ohio and 18,000 in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, 40mph gusts in Illinois whipped up blizzards which caused a pile-up of more than 100 cars and trucks on Interstate 39 early Friday morning and saw hundreds of flights cancelled at both O’ Hare and Midway international airports.
Large parts of the US are facing major winter storms this week as two brutal weather systems look set to bring a torrent of snow and ice across much of the country. The National Weather Service tweeted an advisory late last night, warning that winter storm Nancy will hit in ‘the next 24 hours’ and bring brutal conditions
The first storm, named Nancy by The Weather Channel, is expected to hit within the next 24 hours and has triggered widespread winter weather alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) across the Dakotas and The Great Lakes, extending to several upper-Midwest states
Nancy will deposit heavy snowfall and icy conditions across much of the Northeast and upper Midwest, and will also bring torrential rain to several states on Tuesday
Just last week a storm swept through the Midwest and Northeast causing a huge pileup on Interstate 39
More than 100 cars and semis crashed on a slippery stretch of interstate in central Illinois last Thursday amid the blizzard
Icy roads and high winds have caused pile-ups and crashes across the country as police ordered residents to stay at home
Hot on the heels of Nancy will be Winter Storm Oaklee, which is set to hit the Southwest on Tuesday before tracking across the central US on Wednesday and Thursday. The Weather Channel warned that icy and snowy conditions will impact areas from northern Texas into the mid-Mississippi Valley, with northern Texas and the Ohio valley expected to see heavy snow and sleet
By late Thursday or Thursday night, the wintry mess of snow and ice will begin to spread across the Northeast, hammering areas of the country already reeling from the effects of storm Nancy
The NWS tweeted an advisory late last night, warning that Nancy will hit in ‘the next 24 hours’ and bring brutal conditions.
‘A major winter storm will unfold over the Plains this evening and continue to evolve over the next 24 hours. This will move into the western Great Lakes region on Monday,’ the tweet read.
‘A mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain may come in two waves to parts of the region,’ the service said, adding that an inch of snowfall or more per hour is expected in several areas.
‘Temperatures will be 20 to 30 degrees below average over the Northern Tier States.’
Hot on the heels of Nancy will be Winter Storm Oaklee, which is set to hit the Southwest on Tuesday before tracking across the country to culminate in the Northeast on Friday.
Oaklee is not expected to cause much disruption when it first lands in California and Arizona, but will increase in strength as it moves across the central US on Wednesday.
The Weather Channel warned that icy and snowy conditions will impact areas from northern Texas into the mid-Mississippi Valley, with northern Texas and the Ohio valley expected to see heavy snow and sleet.
And by late Thursday or Thursday night, the wintry mess of snow and ice will begin to spread across the Northeast, hammering areas of the country already reeling from the effects of storm Nancy.
More than 50 million Americans were placed under weather alerts towards the end of last week as heavy snow, sleet and icy conditions threaten huge swathes of the Midwest and Northeast.
More than 50 million Americans were placed under weather alerts towards the end of last week as heavy snow, sleet and icy conditions threaten huge swathes of the Midwest and Northeast (crashes on I-39 in Illinois last week pictured)
The I-39 was closed early Friday north of Bloomington following the pile up, which involved more than 100 cars, semis and large trucks. Winds gusting up to 40 mph whipped up a snowstorm which cut visibility and caused major transport disruptions, as crews untangled the nine passenger vehicles and 19 commercial vehicles on the road while retrieving dozens more that slid off the icy roadway, Illinois State Police Trooper Haylie Polistina said
Meanwhile, Thursday evening and early Friday morning saw a number of tornadoes touch down in parts of Alabama, which saw the roof of a gas station blown onto its side, powerlines downed and trees felled, damaging houses as they toppled over
The widespread warnings come just days after the Midwest was battered by blizzards that caused a huge pile up on Interstate 39 in Illinois thanks to Storm Michael.
The I-39 was closed early Friday north of Bloomington following the pile up, which involved more than 100 cars, semis and large trucks.
Winds gusting up to 40 mph whipped up a snowstorm which cut visibility and caused major transport disruptions, as crews untangled the nine passenger vehicles and 19 commercial vehicles on the road while retrieving dozens more that slid off the icy roadway, Illinois State Police Trooper Haylie Polistina said.
Chicago’s two international airports meanwhile saw more than 500 flights canceled during the storm, which dropped more than 4 inches of snow across the region.
Meanwhile, Thursday evening and early Friday morning saw a number of tornadoes touch down in parts of Alabama, which saw the roof of a gas station blown onto its side, powerlines downed and trees felled, damaging houses as they toppled over.
Nearly 22,000 Alabama Power customers were without electricity in the state, while further north, 13,000 were without power in Tennessee; 14,000 in Kentucky; 16,000 in darkness in Ohio and 18,000 in Pennsylvania.
Nearly 22,000 Alabama Power customers were without electricity in the state, while further north, 13,000 were without power in Tennessee; 14,000 in Kentucky; 16,000 in darkness in Ohio and 18,000 in Pennsylvania
Tornadoes in Alabama blew over trees, damaging several houses late last week
