Winter Storm Warning with Heavy Snow, Cold Temperatures Issued for Parts of Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming, Other States [NWS]

Winter storm warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for Idaho, Nebraska, and other states across the country, where an early-season weather system is expected to bring heavy snow and cold temperatures this week in the United States.

Post-Thanksgiving travel could also be affected by the looming storm, as poor visibility caused by thick snowfall can impact ground and air travel, including flight disruption. Damaging winds and heavy rain can also power outages and flooding.

The US winter storm follows a similar weather system forecasted by meteorologists over the past several weeks, even ahead of the 2023 winter season in December.

On the other hand, the Atlantic hurricane season has only a week left before frigid temperatures caused by Arctic cold air mass envelop the US again, especially its northern tier. However, recent years saw that southern US states as far as Texas have received winter storm warnings for the first time in history.

Winter Storm Warning

In its "urgent" winter weather message, the NWS at 3:26 a.m. MST (local time) on Thursday, November 23, stated that a winter storm warning, for several states across the midwestern and northwestern parts of the US, is in effect from 5:00 a.m. on Thursday until 5:00 a.m. MST on Friday, November 24. The affected states are as follows:

• Idaho
• Nebraska
• Wyoming
• Montana
• Utah
• Colorado

The weather service warns that the storm could make travel difficult to impossible in some of the areas, adding that snowfall accumulations could reach several inches. This weather hazard could lead to dangerous driving conditions such as slippery roads and poor road visibility.

US meteorologists say that the winter storm is caused by a large cyclonic low-pressure, as well as by the collision of cold and warm air masses. Furthermore, that the issuance of the winter storm warning came as tropical winds from the Gulf of Mexico hits the Arctic air, contributing to the chaotic Thanksgiving weather. This phenomenon can also bring threats posed by other weather hazards like powerful tornadoes, heavy rain, and thunder.

The winter storm warnings are focused on the mentioned states earlier. Yet, similar weather alerts could also be issued by the US weather agency to other parts of the nation in the next few days.

US Winter Season

The US winter season, which approximately spans from late December to March, each year is marked by winter storms such as snow storms, blizzards, bomb cyclones, and snow squalls. These winter weather hazards are known for causing widespread disruption and even life-threatening risks.

In 2022, a North American winter storm resulted in more than 100 fatalities and billions of USD worth of damage. The storm was a powerful blizzard that caused lake-effect snow to Buffalo, New York, bringing powerful wind gusts and extreme snowfall. The event became known as the December 2022 New York winter storm.