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Winter Storm Eboni Will Intensify and Spread Heavy Snow, Wind Into Parts of Plains, Midwest

Dec 25, 2018 07:59PM ● By Editor

From Weather.com - December 26, 2018


Winter Storm Eboni will track into the Plains midweek where it will intensify and lay down an expansive swath of wind-driven snow.

Eboni will then spread snow into parts of the upper Midwest and northern New England through Friday.

Eboni was named late on Mon., Dec. 24 with the expectation that area criteria – winter storm warnings for 400,000 square kilometers or more – would be met later in the week. Both area and population criteria was reached Tuesday afternoon. 

Happening Now

Snow continues to fall across parts of the central and southern Rockies and has spread into portions of the northern and central Plains. 

Eboni brought more than a foot of snow to the Sierra on Christmas Eve into early Christmas morning. 

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Current Radar

Winter storm warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service from southern Colorado northeastward to Minnesota and far northwestern Wisconsin. Heavy snow and blowing snow are expected to make travel dangerous in these areas. 

Near-blizzard conditions – including low visibility and blowing snow – are possible in parts of the Dakotas late Wednesday into Thursday.

Winter weather advisories are also in place for parts of the Rockies, northern Plains and upper Midwest where travel could be tricky through midweek. 

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Winter Weather Alerts
(From the National Weather Service.)

Day-By-Day Forecast

Winter Storm Eboni will emerge and strengthen in the central Plains midweek as an upper-level trough – a southward dip in the jet stream – ejects out of the West.

Temperatures are expected to be cold enough on the northern side of this storm for significant amounts of snow to fall from the northern and central Plains into the upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes region.

Wednesday

  • Snow or a rain-and-snow mixture may affect a swath from the southern Rockies into northwestern Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
  • Many areas of eastern Colorado, western Kansas and western Nebraska will see the precipitation start as rain but then change to freezing rain and snow Wednesday night.
  • Snow will spread through much of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan later Wednesday or Wednesday night.
  • Increasing winds are also expected in the Plains and upper Midwest and near-blizzard conditions are possible in parts of western Kansas Wednesday night.
  • Snow will linger from New Mexico and northeastern Arizona northward into Colorado, Wyoming and eastern Montana.
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    Wednesday's Forecast
    (The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)

    Thursday

  • Snow or a rain-and-snow mixture will affect areas from western Kansas to Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
  • Increasing winds are also likely through the Plains and upper Midwest, which will reduce visibility where snow is falling. 
  • Depending on the strength of the winds, we could see near-blizzard conditions develop in parts of the Dakotas and Nebraska, Kansas and northern Minnesota.
  • Some areas will see a change in precipitation type, including Minneapolis which will see snow change to rain.
  • Snow, sleet and freezing rain will spread into parts of New England and eastern New York Thursday night.
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    Thursday's Forecast
    (The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)

    Friday

  • Wind-driven snow may continue to impact parts of the upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes.
  • Portions of northern New England and northeastern New York could see snow or a mix of rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain persist through Friday.
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    Friday's Forecat
    (The green shadings depict where rain is expected. Areas that are shaded blue are expected to see snow. Purple-shaded locations may see either rain or snow. Areas in pink are expected to see sleet or freezing rain (ice).)

    How Much Snow?

    At least 6 inches of snow is expected in a swath from parts of Colorado northeastward through the eastern Dakotas and into northern Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. More than a foot of snow is possible in eastern South Dakota, southeastern North Dakota and in parts of central and northern Minnesota.

    Gusty winds will lead to blowing and drifting snow that may create snow drifts several feet high. 

    The trickiest forecast for snowfall totals is for cities along the southern edge of the expected snowfall, which could see rain and snow. Minneapolis and Sioux Falls, South Dakota are two examples. 

    Keep in mind, the area of heaviest snow could shift farther north or south in future forecast updates based on the track of the storm.

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    Snow Forecast

    Farther east, more than 6 inches of snow is most likely in northern New Hampshire and northern Maine.

    Light snowfall is possible in parts of southern New England but little to no snow accumulation is currently anticipated in Boston, Providence and Hartford.

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