Big Midwest Storm Deserves Attention Now That New England Storm Has Cleared

Said it before and will say it again, when the National 
Weather Service home page is this colorful there's a
big storm out there. Sure enough a large storm is
beginning to clobber the middle of the U.S. 

 A huge storm that will have impacts at least as large as the one that just hit Vermont and the rest of new England, is ramping up in the nation's middle.   

Spoiler: We're not getting another big snowstorm in Vermont with this one

The big middle of the nation system is a classic, and pretty typical spring storm, but we shouldn't minimize it. This type of storm really causes a wide variety of nasty weather. Everything but the kitchen sink, really. 

A huge area from Montana to Wisconsin and south to western Kansas is under winter storm or blizzard warnings. 

Especially in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, this huge spring snowstorm comes after a "Year Without A Winter." in which little snow fell and temperatures almost constantly thawed. 

Blizzard warnings are up for western Kansas, much of Nebraska and central South Dakota, with winds up to 50 mph north and 65 in Kansas. 

To the south of that, high winds and a big fire risk has returned to western and northern Texas, and parts of New Mexico and Oklahoma.  Winds will gust to 65 mph today amid very dry, warm conditions.  Blowing dust will be a big problem, too. 

This time of year, the type of storm hitting the middle of the nation often spins off some severe weather and tornadoes.

Such is the case this time, though the severe risk isn't as high or widespread as some storms have been this time of year. Still, people in some places in the central Plains and south had better keep an eye to the skies. 

A few severe thunderstorms and a couple tornadoes could hit later today in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and north-central Kansas. A part of northwest Kansas could have giant hail or a tornado this afternoon and evening, and a blizzard late tonight and tomorrow. Go figure. 

Tomorrow, the severe weather and tornadoes shifts to Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. Flooding is possible in the same region tomorrow, too.

Another typical aspect of this massive spring storm is its cold front, powerful in the Plains, will gradually lose steam. By the time it arrives here in Vermont and the rest of New England later Wednesday, it'll just have a few light showers with it. 

Also typical of this spring situation is that a new storm will probably form along the weak cold front somewhere near the Southeast or Mid-Atlantic coast. That storm will strengthen some, but it's still too soon to figure out whether it will come west enough to cause a lot of rain or other precipitation here in Vermont.