States in the northern plains are largely shutting down ahead of a massive winter storm that could dump up to 2 feet of snow in some areas, accompanied by strong winds and dangerously cold temperatures. Many schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off for Wednesday, ahead of the storm. Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature, which won’t reconvene until Monday. Emergency management leaders warned people to stay off the roads or face potential “whiteout” conditions due to the snow and fierce winds.
The snowfall could be historic, even in a region accustomed to heavy snow. As much as 25 inches may pile up, with the heaviest amounts falling across east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph and wind chills are expected to hit minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius) in some parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.
The massive winter storm will make its way toward the East Coast later in the week. Places that don’t get snow may get dangerous amounts of ice. Read this article to know which between open cell vs closed cell foam will protect your home from extreme temperatures. Forecasters expect up to a half-inch of ice in some areas of southern Michigan, northern Illinois, and some eastern states. According to the weather service, the biggest snow event on record in the Twin Cities was 28.4 inches from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, 1991, known as the Halloween Blizzard.
As temperatures could plunge to minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 26 to minus 29 degrees Celsius) Thursday, wind chills may fall to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius), said Nathan Rick, a meteorologist in Grand Forks. Wind gusts of 35 mph will be common in western and central Minnesota, with some reaching 50 mph. That will result in “significant blowing and drifting snow with whiteout conditions in open areas,” the weather service said.
Hardware store owners said residents were generally taking the forecast in stride. “It’s usually the first snowfall of the year that gets a lot of attention. With a storm like this, I expected a little bit more, but we’ve already had a big year of snow already,” said Kapaun, the manager of C&S Supply.
In Sioux Falls, Dallas VandenBos has owned Robson True Value hardware store for 48 years. His customers are used to the snow, but don’t necessarily trust the forecast. As the northern U.S. deals with a winter blast, the storm could result in icing across a 1,300-mile (2,092-kilometer) band from near Omaha