Winter weather warnings in 5 states as 14 inches of snow to hit

Winter weather advisories were in places for five U.S. states from the National Weather Service (NWS) early Tuesday, with up to 14 inches of snow forecast in some parts of the country.

Why It Matters

Challenging driving conditions may affect travel as many Americans journey across the country during the holiday season.

What To Know

At the time of writing, the states under winter weather advisories were Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

Affected areas included isolated regions of southeastern Wyoming, central and northern Nebraska, southern South Dakota, as well as central and Western Montana. Areas north of central Idaho were also affected.

While forecast snowfall varied from region to region, the NWS said that snow accumulations of up to 14 inches were possible across the Mission Mountains. At time of writing, this winter weather advisory was in place until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

The service warned that falling temperatures could lead to refreeze and slick road conditions Tuesday morning.

The NWS also said that minor impacts from snow could cause inconvenience to normal activities.

Winter weather advisories are issued “for any amount of freezing rain, or when two to four inches of snow (alone or in combination with sleet and freezing rain), is expected to cause a significant inconvenience,” according to the NWS.

What People Are Saying

NWS North Platte, Nebraska, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect across north central Nebraska until 3 a.m. CST.

“Snow amounts may not be heavy, but there will likely be patches of ice hidden beneath the snow.”

What Happens Next

While the duration of the winter storm warnings varied from state to state, the latest warnings were in place until 9 a.m. at time of writing.

Forecasters have previously said many states could expect lower than normal temperatures in the new year.

Several states in the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, have a 70-80 percent chance of below-normal temperatures between January 4 and January 10, according to the NWS Climate Prediction Center.

“Below normal temperatures are favored across the central and eastern U.S. during much of January,” said the NWS last week.

The NWS service urged drivers in affected areas to slow down and use caution while traveling. It added that the latest road conditions for your state can be obtained by calling 511.

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