Several US states are bracing for a second round of severe weather that’s following on the heels of a powerful spring storm that unleashed tornadoes and piled snow on the Midwest. That system which struck last week claimed the lives of three people. Forecasters are saying that a new storm could dump anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow on the Dakotas and parts of Montana as well as on the northern portion of Minnesota. The National Weather Service stated Sunday that the previous spring storm produced a dozen tornadoes in six states over the past few days.
The upper Midwest is still dealing with last week’s storm that dumped several inches of snow, freezing rain and heavy rainfall last week. Now forecasters are telling people living in that part of the country that Old Man Winter is not releasing its grip quite yet. Another 6 to 12 inches of snow may fall in areas such as northwestern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. In mid-Michigan, heavy down pourings of rain have led to some flooding. Thousands of residents of the town of Alma were told to evacuate this weekend as the local river there was already overflowing its banks.
Snowfall will spread Saturday night from the High Plains into southern North Dakota and the northern portions of South Dakota. The snowfall was heavy late Saturday along the I-94 corridor in North Dakota and in northwestern Minnesota. The snow was changing over to sleet and freezing rain in those areas overnight. For Sunday, heavy snow will be falling across North Dakota and spreading into northern Minnesota. Strong blowing winds could lead to a lot of drifting which will make driving difficult to say the least. Folks living in northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s upper peninsula will most likely see freezing rain and sleet Sunday afternoon which may change to all rain by Monday morning.
The greatest risk of heavy snowfall will be from eastern Montana into North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota where at least six inches will fall. Portions of North Dakota may get over a foot of white stuff by rush hour Monday morning. That state typically only gets about 4 inches of snow for the entire month of April so we can expect to see some records broken there. Freezing rain that could result in a quarter-inch of ice forming on trees and roadways are possible in some areas. If that happens, tree limbs and power lines will come down to put may residents of the Dakotas, central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin in the dark. For assitance with any disaster in Minnesota, contact the twin cities disaster pros or outside of Minneapolis, the Minnesota restoration pros for help.