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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Old Man Winter is about to strike again this weekend, unleashing what will be the third snowstorm in a little over a week across parts of Montana and the Dakotas.
AccuWeather‘s expert team of forecasters says the storm could evolve into a full-blown blizzard with travel-snarling snow that could result in feet of accumulation.
Winter storm watches have been hoisted across southern and eastern Montana, northwestern South Dakota and western North Dakota ahead of the winter weather. Bozeman, Montana; Sheridan, Wyoming; and Dickinson, Minot and Williston, North Dakota, are all included in these alerts. The watches remain just west of Rapid City, South Dakota, confined to the Black Hills region.
Part of this region remains snow-covered from the recent wintry hits, with half a foot of snow or more still on the ground in portions of northern and central North Dakota. In Minot, 46 inches of snow has buried the city so far this month compared to a normal of 3.5 inches through Tuesday, or 13 times the monthly average. This month is the snowiest April on record, smashing the 35.4 inches set in 1970. Minot’s seasonal total as of April 20 stood at 73.7 inches of snow, surpassing the normal amount of 49.1 inches of snow.
Snow depth across the northern Plains as of early Wednesday morning, April 20, 2022. (National Weather Service)
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski noted that the atmosphere appears to be “stuck in repeat mode” with storms cycling through the middle of the nation every few days with snow on their northwestern flank and severe weather to the south and east. Slight variations in the track of each system have shifted the corridor of heaviest snow during each event.
“The worst of this storm seems to be centered a bit farther to the west in the United States compared to the other two storms in the past couple of weeks, as well as a bit farther to the north in Canada,” Sosnowski said.
This will put areas from southern Montana and northern Wyoming to western South Dakota and northwestern North Dakota at risk for the greatest accumulation this weekend, with the potential for a foot or more of fresh powder. Heavy snow is forecast to extend into parts of central Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, Canada, as well.
In places “where the heaviest snow falls, on the order of 1-2 feet, strong winds can not only create blizzard conditions but [also] cause drifts of 5-8 feet in some cases,” Sosnowski said. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 45 inches is most likely to occur in the Rocky Mountains.
Forecasters warn that the combination of the heavy and drifting snow can bring another round of travel shutdowns to the region and pose significant dangers for those who attempt to drive through the storm. Snow drifts and icy conditions led to road closures and vehicles becoming stuck on roads along with at least one crash-related fatality during the last two storms.
“Motorists with travel plans through these areas should be prepared for major delays and road closures. Interstate 94 could be affected, as well as U.S. Routes 2, 12 and 85, and Canada Highways 1 and 16,” Sosnowski said.
Heavy snow rates of up to 2 inches per hour can impact eastern Montana and western North Dakota on Saturday and Saturday night as the storm rapidly deepens in the region. This alone can lead to serious difficulty for road crews to keep transportation routes clear.
Bismarck, North Dakota, which is also running significantly above average in terms of snowfall for the month, picking up nearly 22 inches month-to-date compared to an average of 3.7, is expected to be spared from the heaviest snowfall with this storm, according to forecasters. Precipitation is likely to fall as rain in the city as the storm arrives on Friday. As temperatures plummet during the storm’s duration, a changeover to snow could occur with a slushy accumulation possible by Sunday.
“Temperatures do not look to be as extremely low with this storm, but since winds can again howl with it, dangerously low AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures can develop,” Sosnowski said. Latest indications point toward RealFeel® Temperatures dipping into the teens and single digits at times this weekend.
Experts say the wind and snow can once again threaten livestock during a sensitive time for cattle ranchers. Calving season is underway in this region, and any significant snowfall can pose a serious threat to the lives of young cattle if they become buried for any extended amounts of time.
Forecasters are pointing out a crucial benefit of the snowfall, however. Many of the areas expected to get the heaviest snowfall with this storm have been enduring severe to extreme drought conditions, so the snowmelt later in the spring could ease the long-term dryness and help the landscape to green up.
In the weeks ahead, AccuWeather’s long-range team will be actively monitoring for any significant warmups or heavy rain events that could cause the snowpack to melt at too quick a pace for the ground to keep up with absorption, which would raise concerns of river flooding.
( AccuWeather meteorologist, contributed this report. It first appeared on accuweather.com.)
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