Winter Storm Wesley, which some are already calling “historic,” has officially met the criteria to be labeled a bomb cyclone.
The strengthening storm is also now poised to set new records for low pressure and snowfall in the Plains. And these aren’t only April records either. In some areas, Wesley may even break all-time two-day snowstorm records.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings across several states. Included are parts of northeastern Colorado, western and central Nebraska, and most of South Dakota. Southwestern and central Minnesota, as well as Northwestern Kansas, are also included.
Those in affected areas are being advised to hunker down as the storm plows through the region. High winds and heavy snowfall could last through Friday, creating dangerous conditions for travel.
The storm is expected to be at its worst between southern Nebraska and Kansas. Additionally, snowfall records are expected to be set in parts of Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota. These predictions by NOAA could very well threaten two-day snowfall records in the cities of Marshall and Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Aberdeen, Huron, Mitchell, and Watertown, South Dakota are also likely to see record-breaking accumulation.
Some areas are even expected to see 20 or even 30 inches of snow.
The storm is truly bringing an absolute plethora of weather conditions to the central states. As evidenced by the warnings, these include plummeting temperatures, high winds, and – as we’ve also mentioned – lots of snow. Severe storms are also a strong possibility in some areas as well.
However, it’s not just the severity of the bomb cyclone that’s so menacing, it’s also the incredibly sudden impact. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Dodge City, Kansas remarked on the crazy weather conditions.
“So Wednesday is the epitome of dynamic Kansas weather…” they tweeted. “We’ve got winds, heat->cold, wildfire weather, severe weather (perhaps even weak tornadoes), & winter weather all in the same day. Don’t like something I mentioned, well just wait a bit and it will be different.”
While the Midwest suffers from blizzards as a result of the record-setting storm, another threat has arisen. Red flag warnings have been posted from Arizona to western Texas as the chance of wildfires is increased. The air here is incredibly dry, and thanks to the winter storm to the north, the winds are also quite strong.
High wind warnings were issued for much of New Mexico and parts of neighboring states. Nearly all of Oklahoma is also under a wind advisory.
