The Northwestern and Midwestern USA was hit by an unusually early, mid-November winter storm that buried cars and sent damaging winds and subzero temperatures from Oregon, whipped westward into Montana, and left Illinois with snow flurries and freezing temperatures Thursday.
Before it is over this winter storm will deliver snow from Oregon and Washington State down into Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
The storm will see a rare November snow drop in the Central Plains, and the blast of arctic air will bring lower-than-average temperatures and precipitation more often seen in December and January.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Miller said, “Blizzard conditions are possible for a time in the mountains of southern Wyoming to central Colorado Friday night into Saturday.”
The winter-like conditions will continue late into Sunday, coating Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago in snow and freezing temperatures and dumping a wintery mix as far south as northern Arkansas and northwestern Tennessee.
It all results in an early spell of winter-like weather for the entire country.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.