Severe Winter Storm Alert: Blizzards and High Winds Ahead

Major Winter Storm and Blizzard Conditions: Blizzard Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings from the Dakotas and Minnesota into Wisconsin and northern Michigan may bring heavy snow, blowing snow, and near-whiteout conditions from late tonight through Monday. Snow totals may exceed a foot in several areas, with ice and mixed precipitation farther east.
High Wind Event Across the Rockies and Plains: Widespread High Wind Warnings across Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and parts of Texas and the central Plains may produce wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph from today through Sunday night.
Severe Thunderstorms and Tornado Risk from the Ark-La-Tex to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic: Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop Sunday into Monday from eastern Texas and Arkansas northeast into the lower Ohio Valley, then spreading toward the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Damaging winds and tornadoes are possible, especially Sunday evening through Monday afternoon.

From the RV Weather Field Office in State College PA:

Here are the relevant National Weather Service Warnings, Watches and Advisories that will impact RV and Road travel over the next several days.

Scroll down to the always-updating graphics immediately below this forecast for the latest information and for weather impacts that do not meet NWS Alert criteria.

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Weather Impacts Pacific Time Zone:

— Northern Nevada on I-80 remains under a High Wind Warning through Sunday morning. Winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph may create hazardous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles, with some blowing dust and brief visibility drops in exposed areas.

— Western Washington along I-5 continues to deal with Flood Warnings through Sunday evening and, in some spots, into Monday morning. Rivers near Bucoda, Chehalis, Grand Mound, Porter, and Kelso are producing or nearing flood conditions, with water over low roads and delays possible in low-lying stretches near the corridor.

— Northeast Oregon and southeast Washington, including parts of I-84 and nearby routes, remain under flood alerts through Sunday morning or afternoon. Minor river flooding and runoff may cover low spots and secondary roads, especially near the Umatilla and adjacent basins.

— Southern California’s mountain and desert approaches near I-5 remain breezy through Sunday morning, with gusts to 45 mph producing locally difficult handling. After that, a prolonged heat event begins Monday across much of California, with Heat Advisories expanding along I-5, I-8, I-10, I-15, I-40, and I-80; inland highs reach the 90s to around 100 to 105, and Extreme Heat Watches continue later in the week for parts of southern California and the lower desert corridors.

Weather Impacts Mountain Time Zone:

— Western and central Montana into northern Wyoming remain in a winter storm pattern through Sunday morning and afternoon. Winter Storm Warnings cover I-94, I-90, and Pipestone Pass, where additional snow of 3 to 10 inches and blowing snow will keep visibility poor and roads snow-covered.

— The Yellowstone and adjacent mountain corridors, including I-15, I-90, and approaches to Togwotee Pass, remain under Winter Weather Advisories through Sunday morning. Snow and blowing snow will keep travel slow in higher terrain, with 4 to 8 inches common in the park and higher peaks closer to 10 to 15 inches.

— Much of Wyoming remains a major wind concern through Sunday. High Wind Warnings continue on I-25 and around Sherman Summit on I-80, where gusts of 65 to 75 mph are likely to produce dangerous crosswinds and difficult travel for RVs and other high-profile vehicles.

— Utah’s exposed corridors and passes remain very windy through Sunday morning and, in some cases, into Sunday afternoon. High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories cover Parleys Summit on I-80, Beaver Ridge and Cedar Mountain on I-15, and parts of I-70 and I-84, with gusts commonly 50 to 65 mph and handling problems likely in the gaps and higher terrain.

— Colorado remains split between high wind and winter travel problems. High Wind Warnings cover I-25, I-70, I-76, I-80, and Eisenhower Tunnel beginning Sunday morning and lasting through Sunday evening, with gusts 65 to 80 mph in the most exposed areas; at the same time, Winter Weather Advisories around Vail Pass and nearby mountain corridors bring several inches of snow and slick travel.

— The Bighorn, Yellowstone, and western Wyoming mountain approaches remain under Winter Weather Advisories through Sunday morning. Sherman Summit, Togwotee Pass, and nearby stretches of I-15, I-25, and I-90 can expect snow, blowing snow, and localized totals of 4 to 10 inches, with higher peaks again well above that.

— New Mexico turns sharply windier on Sunday. High Wind Warnings and Watches cover I-10, I-25, and I-40, including Glorieta Pass and Tijeras Pass, with gusts 60 mph common and some areas higher; Red Flag Warnings add wildfire concerns where dry air and wind combine.

— West Texas and the Permian Basin corridors tied to the Mountain section, especially I-10 and I-20 near the New Mexico line, remain under High Wind Warnings through Monday morning. Winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 65 mph will make east-west travel difficult, and Red Flag Warnings Sunday add fire danger from dry, windy conditions.

— The major national storm continues to organize east of the Rockies, and the High Plains into the upper Missouri Valley remain the main winter-weather story through Monday. Snow, blowing snow, and expanding blizzard conditions will worsen travel east of Montana and Wyoming later Sunday.

— Farther out, dangerous heat remains on the horizon for the desert Southwest. Extreme Heat Watches continue later this week into next weekend for parts of Arizona and southeast California, including stretches of I-8, I-10, I-17, and I-19, where highs may reach 100 to 108.

Weather Impacts Central Time Zone:

— The main national travel story is a major winter storm from the Dakotas and Minnesota into Wisconsin and northern Michigan through Monday. Blizzard Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings cover long stretches of I-29, I-35, I-39, I-43, I-90, I-94, and later I-80 in eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois, with heavy snow, blowing snow, and whiteout conditions likely.

— Eastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, and adjacent Nebraska remain especially vulnerable beginning late tonight and Sunday. Blizzard Warnings along I-29 and I-90 bring widespread blowing snow, gusts commonly 55 to 60 mph, and periods of near-whiteout travel.

— Wisconsin faces a more complicated mix of heavy snow, ice, and wind from late tonight into Monday. I-39, I-43, I-90, and I-94 are under Winter Storm Warnings or Blizzard Warnings, with some corridors seeing 12 to 24 inches of snow while others pick up freezing rain and sleet that will sharply worsen road conditions.

— Northern Michigan on I-75 is a high-end winter corridor beginning Sunday morning and lasting into Monday or Tuesday. Winter Storm Warnings and Blizzard Warnings include heavy mixed precipitation, ice accretion of one tenth to one half inch in some areas, and later very heavy snow, with storm totals locally reaching 18 to 34 inches and travel potentially becoming impossible at times.

— Strong non-thunderstorm winds spread from Kansas and Nebraska into Iowa and Missouri on Sunday and Sunday night. High Wind Warnings cover I-29, I-35, I-70, and I-80, with gusts 60 to 65 mph common and some winter-weather zones near the Nebraska-Iowa line reaching around 70 mph, creating severe crosswind issues and areas of blowing snow.

— Tennessee’s eastern corridors, including I-26, I-40, I-75, and I-81, enter a High Wind Warning beginning Sunday morning and lasting through Monday morning. South winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 65 mph will make mountain and valley travel difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

— Oklahoma and Texas remain a broad wind and fire-weather problem Sunday. High Wind Warnings affect I-27, I-35, I-40, and I-44 with gusts 60 to 65 mph, while Red Flag Warnings from the Panhandle into central and west Texas cover I-10, I-20, I-30, I-35, I-37, and I-45; crosswinds, blowing dust, and wildfire smoke are all possible in the driest areas.

— A larger belt of Wind Advisories also stretches from Arkansas and Oklahoma through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and parts of Michigan Sunday into Monday. Gusts of 45 to 55 mph are common along I-24, I-40, I-55, I-57, I-64, I-65, I-69, I-70, I-71, I-74, I-75, I-80, and I-94, so difficult handling remains a widespread issue even outside warning areas.

— Flood Warnings continue in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Alabama. Low-lying roads near I-64, I-65, I-69, I-80, I-96, and I-20 may still see high water or flooded approaches through Sunday, and in a few spots into Monday or later next week.

— A Dense Smoke Advisory remains in effect through Sunday midday near I-75 in eastern Kentucky. Localized visibility can drop below a quarter mile in smoke pockets, especially in valleys and sheltered areas.

— A separate severe-weather concern develops Sunday afternoon through Sunday night from the Ark-La-Tex and Ark-La-Miss northeast into the lower Ohio Valley. Strong to severe thunderstorms may affect travel on I-20, I-30, I-40, I-49, I-55, I-57, I-64, and I-69, with damaging winds and tornadoes possible; the strongest tornado and wind threat appears from the Ark-La-Miss toward the lower Ohio Valley Sunday evening.

— Overnight into early Sunday, a smaller severe-weather area lingers across central and eastern Iowa. A few stronger storms may bring small to marginally severe hail near the I-35 and I-80 corridors before that threat diminishes.

Weather Impacts Eastern Time Zone:

— Flood Warnings continue into Sunday and, in a few spots, Monday morning along parts of I-80 in Ohio and I-81 in New York. High water remains possible near river crossings and low-lying access roads.

— Ohio and western Pennsylvania turn windy beginning Sunday afternoon and continuing through Monday morning. Wind Advisories cover I-71, I-75, I-76, I-77, I-79, I-80, and I-90 with gusts to 50 mph, while parts of northwestern Pennsylvania on I-79, I-86, and I-90 are under High Wind Watches for gusts to 60 mph.

— Upstate New York becomes increasingly windy beginning Sunday evening. Wind Advisories and High Wind Watches cover I-81, I-86, I-87, I-89, and I-90 through Monday, with gusts generally 50 to 55 mph in advisory areas and up to 60 mph where watches are posted.

— Southern New England enters a future wind concern beginning Monday evening and lasting into Tuesday morning. High Wind Watches on I-90, I-93, and I-95 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island signal gusts up to 60 mph and the likelihood of hazardous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles.

— A more significant severe-weather setup is expected Monday from the Southeast into the Mid-Atlantic. Severe storms are likely from South Carolina to southern Pennsylvania, with the greatest potential for strong tornadoes and significant damaging winds centered from South Carolina to Maryland late Monday morning through the afternoon; likely affected corridors include I-77, I-81, I-85, and I-95.

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