Fresh Arctic Cold to Set the Stage for Snowstorm

The northern Plains and the Midwest are already contending with brutally coldair and blustery winds today, and even more cold air is on the way. More arcticair will spread through the northern tier on Wednesday and Thursday, helping toset the stage for a big snowstorm from the southern Plains to themid-Atlantic.Highs will be only in the single digits today across parts of North Dakota andMinnesota and the teens across northeastern South Dakota, Iowa and northwesternWisconsin. By Wednesday, temperatures in even more cities and towns will riseinto only the single digits.

Meanwhile, a storm that will first hit California will begin spreading somerain across Texas and the southern Plains on Wednesday night. As the moisturefrom the storm runs into colder air, it will allow a zone of ice and snow todevelop on the northern edge of the storm. There could be major traveldisruptions as well as school cancellations as a result. Communities fromeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado into western Texas and Oklahomawill get some treacherous wintry weather.