Arctic Outbreak Will Make November Feel Like January

The coldest air of the season so far is racing southward across the Central states this week. A second blast of Arctic air will push into the Midwest and East this weekend. The arrival of the cold air will be accompanied by snow in many locations.

Air originating from above the Arctic Circle will race southeastward across the Plains during the middle of the week and will reach the Midwest Friday.


The frigid air will be accompanied by strong, gusty winds that will drive windchill temperatures to painful levels for those who have to be outdoors for any length of time, without warm clothing.

The air mass has been producing below-zero temperatures on the North Slope of Alaska, and while it will modify moving southward and eastward, it will mean business as it enters the United States.

The same air mass due to enter the U.S. this week was producing temperatures ranging from 10 to 50 below zero over parts of Canada's Yukon and Northwest Territories Tuesday morning.

As the Arctic air sweeps in it will replace temperatures in the 50s, 60s and 70s with temperatures in the teens, 20s and 30s. In portions of the Plains and Midwest, this transition will occur in a matter of hours.
Gusts past 40 mph will be frequent and could cause flight delays as the waves of cold air spread from the northern Plains to the Midwest and East.

From parts of Montana to North Dakota and Minnesota, high temperatures will be in the teens for one or more days with windchill temperatures hovering in the single digits and dipping below zero at times.

Farther south from parts of South Dakota and Nebraska, eastward to Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, highs will be in the 20s on one or more days with RealFeel temperatures in the teens and single digits.

As the cold air pushes southward, it will produce a period of snow along the Front Range of the Rockies, including Denver. Snow will also mark the arrival of cold air over the Upper Midwest, with rain falling farther south.

Portions of the central Appalachians and the Ohio Valley will have the first day with subfreezing temperatures throughout the daylight hours Sunday.

For those combing through debris in search of valuables and irreplaceable items in the wake of the devastating Midwest tornadoes, the cold wave with its biting winds will be an additional hardship.

The Arctic outbreak will also unleash a round of flurries and locally heavy lake-effect snow from the Upper Midwest to the central Appalachians. There is the potential for a foot or more of snow, where the bands of snow persist.

National Weather Service In Gaylord Confirms Tornado

Strong storms swept through Mid-Michigan Sunday as a cold front moved across the state.

The primary threat was wind, and thunderstorm wind gusts in excess of 60mph were recorded throughout Mid-Michigan.

The National Weather Service out of Gaylord has confirmed one tornado in Otsego County near Waters, Mich.

The damage indicates that it was an EF0 tornado, with peak wind estimates of 65-75mph. The tornado touched down around 4:30pm, just south of exit 270 along I-75. Numerous trees were blown over along the .3 mile long damage path. The path width was 150 yards.

The storm system that brought us Sunday's severe weather is moving farther away from us. It will remain windy for Monday, but the wind will weaken this evening.

Much cooler air is moving in throughout the day as well, firing up some lake effect snow showers.

November Tornado Outbreak Pounds The Midwest

At least eight people were killed as a result of Sunday's tornado outbreak in the Midwest.

Patty Thompson with the Central Office of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency confirmed that there have been six fatalities for the state and that there are likely over 100 injured, though that number is not yet official.

The Associated Press has reported two additional deaths in Michigan as a result of the storms.

Washington County, Ill., Coroner Mark Styninger told The Associated Press that an elderly man and his sister were killed around noon local time when a tornado hit their home in the rural community of New Minden in southern Illinois.

The AP also reported a third death occurred in New Minden while two other deaths occurred in Massac County, also in southern Illinois.

The New Minden tornado was preliminarily rated as an EF-4 (166 to 200 mph) on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, according to an initial survey by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in St. Louis.

At least 20 people were injured there, The AP reported. More than 30 people were injured around Nashville, Ill., WBBM-AM/FM reported.

Tornado touchdowns were reported Sunday in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

At least 68 tornado reports have been received by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, along with about 400 wind damage reports on Sunday.

A majority of the reports came from Indiana and Illinois, where AccuWeather.com meteorologists expected the worst storms to take shape.

"It had the best combination of instability; the sun came out several hours before the thunderstorms blew up," AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Frank Strait said. "The wind shear was also favorable for tornadoes."

Based on photographs of some of the tornado touchdowns, the destruction looks "pretty serious," Strait said.

"It was what we thought there would be: big, violent-type tornadoes," Strait said

An apartment complex was severely damaged in Washington, Ill., according to the Peoria Journal Star. A shelter was established for those in need of a place to live for the time being.

The Central Illinois chapter of the American Red Cross was setting up additional shelters around Washington, the chapter said on its Twitter feed. Seven shelters had opened across Illinois, according to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency's website.

The Illinois National Guard said 10 firefighters from the 182nd Airlift Wing were deployed to Washington to aid with search and rescue efforts.

Another tornado was reported in the Chicago suburb of Frankfort, Ill.

At one point, more than 116,000 Ameren Illinois customers were without power Sunday afternoon as a result of the storms, according to the utility's website.

A state of emergency was declared by Mayor Greg Goodnight in Kokomo, Ind., where significant storm damage was reported.

High Severe Thunderstorm Risk for Midwest and Down The Mississippi Valley

Here is the simulated radar composite reflectivity forecast for 1pm EST, showing a very distinct arc of isolated supercell storms from S Michigan south through E Illinois, with convective initiation along the front as far south as NE Arkansas.

These supercells, especially from southern IL/KY north, will very likely be capable of producing long-track, violent tornadoes as they track through IN, southern MI..., OH, and even southern Ontario.

Farther south, in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, wind fields are forecast to be more unidirectional with height by the time storms develop Sunday afternoon, resulting in a more conditional tornado threat in the southern mode. Still though, any slight weakening or backing of the surface winds in the Lower MS River Valley would create an environment conduce for strong tornadoes as well. Stay tuned to local watches and warnings in the entire slight and moderate risk areas from the southern Great Lakes to AR/TN.

Snow to Accompany Arctic Blast Into the Great Lakes

The arctic blast headed to the Great Lakes will be accompanied by accumulating snow and the risk for icy spots.

A band of rain and snow pressing through the Great Lakes--in a northwest-to-southeast fashion--through Monday night will signify the arctic air's arrival.

The arctic blast will be strong enough for the rain to change to a general coating to an inch of snow in many communities.

Cities in line to be lightly whitened by the snow include Chicago, Ill., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Syracuse and Binghamton, N.Y.

In the wake of the initial band of rain and snow, places downwind of the Great Lakes will see more snow through Tuesday as the arctic invasion activates the lake-effect snow machine.

In the heaviest lake-effect snow bands, the potential exists for 6 to 12 inches to accumulate across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 3 to 6 inches elsewhere downwind of the Great Lakes.

Outside of the Great Lakes and central Appalachians, wet snowflakes are only expected to make an appearance and not accumulate along the I-95 corridor of the Northeast Monday night through Tuesday.

Snowflakes could even been seen in Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga., Tuesday night as an inch or two of snow whitens the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.

First Snowfall of the 2013-2014 Hits Southern Michigan

Here are the firs measurable snow totals of the 2013-2014 season.  Much of lower Michigan experienced it's first measurable snowfall on 11/11/13.  Winter appears to have come in early after a much cooler than normal summer.

Season's collide as a Warm Fall turns into a Cold Winter

Saginaw trace
West Bloomfield 0.1 inches...
Berkley 0.2 inches...
Mayville 0.2 inches...
Detroit Metro Airport 0.5 inches...
Peck 0.3 inches...
Flint 0.4 inches...
Garden City 0.4 inches...
Highland 0.5 inches...
Holly 0.5 inches...
Morenci 0.5 inches...
Pontiac 0.5 inches...
Fowlerville 0.6 inches...
NWS Detroit 0.6 inches...
Monroe 0.6 inches...
Grand Blanc 0.8 inches...