National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have published a map showing where roads are impacted by a winter storm hitting the northern U.S. on Monday.
Winter weather advisories have been issued across the northern Plains states and across the Northeast as of Monday morning. Many of the alerts warned of heavy snow and hazardous road conditions.
The NWS shared a map showing which states had impacted roads that prompted the warnings in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Snow, blowing snow, freezing drizzle…states across the northern U.S. are under Winter Weather Advisories [purple shading on the map] early this week due to snowy/icy roads,” NWS posted with the image.
National Weather Service
Impacted areas include eastern Montana, southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, eastern North Dakota, northwestern and northeastern Minnesota, parts of northern Wisconsin, parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, northern New York, and much of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Several follow-up posts from the NWS warned of the various dangers to travel caused by the storm.
“While lots of snow in the middle of winter can cause dangerous travel conditions, the first snow of the season can also cause accidents,” the NWS said. “Be careful as you and other drivers adjust to driving in poor conditions. Don’t let the first snow sneak up on you.”
NWS also warned of freezing rain and ice.
NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Brian Hurley told Newsweek that the winter weather in the northern Plains and Northeast is part of the same system. The northern Plains are on the back end of the system, so those states are receiving cold air with the snow, as well as strong winds that are causing blowing snow.
“It’s the wind that is causing much of the problem there as far as the advisories in those areas,” Hurley said.
The Northeast is on the front end of the system. Hurley said widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches of snow are possible, though warming temperatures will lead to sleet and rain.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center said that snow and blizzard conditions in the northern Plains would taper off by Monday afternoon.
“Across the northern High Plains, colder air and gale force winds behind a low pressure system have prompted winter weather advisories/warnings, Blizzard Warnings, as well as wind advisories/high wind warnings this morning,” the NWS Weather Prediction Center forecast said. “4-7″ of snow is expected across the northern High Plains. Meanwhile, strong onshore flow off Lake Superior will further enhance local snow totals across the Arrowhead of MN range where 9-12″+ totals are expected.”
Though the snow is expected to gradually slow in those regions on Monday, snow is expected to “quickly overspread” parts of the Northeast by Monday night.
“Snow will quickly overspread the area between 3 PM and 7 PM this evening, resulting in a hazardous evening commute with snow covered and slippery roads, along with areas of poor visibilities,” the NWS office in Burlington, Vermont, said in a forecast. “The steadier snow will taper off to a light wintry mix toward midnight and linger into Tuesday morning.”
