Snowstorm threatens blizzard conditions and power outages in Northern Plains and Upper Midwest

Dalia Faheid, Samantha Beech and Nic F. Anderson, CNN
·4 min read
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A significant storm in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest is expected to bring heavy snow and possible blizzard conditions through Tuesday morning, setting the stage for hazardous travel and power outages.

Back-to-back storms are sending some cities as much snow as they had all winter, and the latest storm is expected to have longer-lasting impacts than the last.

The “high-impact” storm is expected to produce strong, gusty winds and widespread heavy snow over parts of the regions through early next week, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The snow and wind will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow as well as possible blizzard conditions Sunday into Monday.

“Disruptions to daily life” are likely as a result of this storm, the Weather Prediction Center warned on Friday.

Blizzard warnings have been issued for parts of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota.

“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only,” the National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas, warned. “If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.”

Heavy snow will spread into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Sunday, continuing into Tuesday. At least 8 inches of snow could cover northern Nebraska and central South Dakota to central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Minneapolis could see up to 12 inches in some areas by Tuesday, rivaling the 11 inches it received over the entirety of the winter season.

Earlier this week, another storm dropped several inches of snow from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes, beginning Thursday night and continuing into Friday morning. But the storm this weekend will usher in more widespread and troublesome impacts.

Nearly 250,000 customers were without power across three states by Sunday afternoon, including more than 146,000 in Maine, more than 46,000 in New Hampshire and more than 56,000 in New York, according to poweroutage.us.

Around 100,000 customers have had their power restored across the region since early Sunday morning.

“We have more than 6,000 utility workers in the state working to restore power,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in a statement Saturday, adding the worst of the storm had ended for the state.

The weather service warned the storm over the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest will bring strong winds and dump heavy, wet snow on trees and power lines.

Many power lines were on the ground across Maine on Sunday following the storm, and some customers may remain without power possibly into Wednesday, Central Maine Power said in a series of updates on X.

“Your status will likely remain ‘assessing’ until Monday,” Central Maine Power said. “That means our crews are in the field making power lines safe and creating plans to get you back online.”

The electric company said utility workers on Sunday encountered severe damage in several coastal areas including Cumberland, York and Lincoln counties. “For customers living in those areas, restoration efforts will likely extend into late Tuesday or possibly even Wednesday,” Central Maine Power said.

Hazardous travel and road closures in the affected areas are expected into early next week.

The freezing conditions resulted in a high number of vehicle accidents on roads across the Northeast. New Hampshire State Police told CNN there were 169 reports of crashes, vehicles off the road and disabled vehicles between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

State troopers in Maine this weekend responded to around 210 crashes and slide-offs, according to a state police spokesperson. There were no major injuries, police said.

Wind gusts over 50 mph on Sunday could also result in difficult travel, property damage and power outages in the Central and Southern Plains, the weather service warned.

Heavy snow will continue through late Sunday morning over Northern New England. Meanwhile, flood watches on the East Coast are lingering over coastal New Jersey and Delaware.

Isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms that could also produce strong wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes are forecast to develop Sunday from central Texas into Kansas. Severe thunderstorms will move into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Monday, according to the NWS.

CNN’s Sara Smart and Mary Gilbert contributed to this report.

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