ORLANDO, Fla. – The makings of a pre-Christmas blizzard are getting underway in the northern Plains.
As the system dives through the Plains during the week, heavy snow and blizzard conditions will be possible.
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In addition to the snow, wind gusts on the order of 40-50 mph will create whiteout conditions from the foothills of the Rockies through parts of the mid-Atlantic.
Airport delays could be significant from Chicago through the Northeast, especially Thursday and Friday. The ripple effect felt across country could also be noteworthy.
Behind the storm, dangerously cold air blasts in, especially west of the Mississippi. Wind chill values will dip to 40-60 degrees below zero in parts of Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas.
The dangerously cold air moves into the Deep South on Thursday and Friday. The airmass had been charging up over Siberia and is now plunging east of the Canadian Rockies and entering the northern tier of the country.
Temperatures in the core of the airmass were 50 to 60 degrees below zero without the wind factored in.
Temperatures below freezing will creep as far south as Orlando on Christmas Eve morning.
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