Winter Storm Threatens Much of Western U.S. | WeatherBug
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Winter Storm Threatens Much of Western U.S.

December 12, 2022
UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologists
A lumbering storm system laden with ample moisture will spill rain and mountain snow across the Western U.S. this week.

Many mountaintops from the West Coast to the Great Basin will be graced by additional snowfall of 6 to 18 inches. The Sierra Nevada will get a much needed break from the snowfall, after several feet blanketed the mounrain range over the weekend.

Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories can still be found along the San Diego Mountains, as well as the Nevada-Oregon border into central Idaho and Montana. Additional Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories can be found from Arizona and New Mexico to Wyoming and Colorado, where an additional 2 to 6 inches of snow will be possible. Tucson and Flagstaff, Ariz., Salt Lake City, Libby, Mont., and Boise, Idaho, are just some of the cities included in these winter-related warnings and advisories that will see heavy snow.

Avalanche Warnings are in place for central Idaho, including the town of Stanley. Blizzard Warnings are in effect for eastern Wyoming, southeastern Montana, northeastern Colorado, western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, including Glenrock, Douglas, and Lusk, Wyo., as well as Harrison and Chadron, Neb. Winter Storm Watches cover the Upper Midwest, including parts of the northern Plains, Minnesota, central Iowa and Wisconsin. 

Another threat from this developing storm system will be high winds across the Southwest and central Plains. High Wind Watches and Warnings and Wind Advisories are stretched from southern New Mexico to western Kansas. Here, wind gusts 45-60 mph will be possible. 

This system will become re-energized over the central U.S. by Tuesday, leading to a surge of moderate to heavy snow across the northern Plains while heavy rain and robust thunderstorms develop in the central and southern Plains as well as the Mississippi Valley. Northern Nebraska through much of the Dakotas could see up to 12  inches of snow before the system departs later in the week.

It’s never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage. It’s always best to avoid travel in rough weather as the roads will be dangerous.