Alexandra Ferguson
(CNN) – As the excitement of the holidays begins to wear off and the daunting journey home becomes a reality, Mother Nature isn’t putting on her best face.
It appears that the weather from coast to coast is putting on one last show for the last week of 2021. Ice and snow, rain and freezing temperatures will affect millions of people on their journey home from the holidays.
This will cause extremely dangerous conditions on the roads and the possibility of even more delays at the airlines, in addition to those already caused by the increase in coronavirus infections.
More than 6,000 flights canceled on Christmas weekend
Meters of snow in the mountains
The US Pacific Northwest is already covered in snow and intense cold after Christmas.
More snow is expected to fall in the region, with 25 to 75 millimeters possible in lower regions this week, and more unusually cold temperatures to come.
The Sierra could receive a great deal of snow that adds to an already impressive blanket.
“The Sierra Nevada is expected to receive another 0.3 to 0.6 meters of snow with totals of up to 0.9 meters possible at the highest elevations,” the Weather Prediction Center said.
Where snow is expected in the next few days
This is the total snowfall that the National Weather Service (WPC) predicts will fall in the country:
Forecast as of Monday, December 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET Source: National Weather Service, U.S. Census Bureau Graphic: John Keefe, CNN Snow forecast through Thursday at 7 a.m. ET
While snow is welcome in this drought-stricken region, it could make conditions dangerous in the passes.
In Nevada, injuries were reported in a 20-vehicle accident that occurred Sunday after snow and wind created low-visibility conditions.
Even the Rocky Mountains will receive 0.3 to 0.6 meters of snow. With fresh snow and strong winds, avalanches will be a big concern.
Authorities have issued avalanche warnings in parts of northern Colorado and Utah for skiers.
“Heavy snowfall and high winds will likely create dangerous avalanche conditions. Both natural and man-made avalanches are likely to occur. Stay off and off slopes over 30 degrees, ”said the Utah Avalanche Center.
In Colorado, the first avalanche death of the season occurred on Christmas Eve after a skier was “totally buried” by an avalanche.
Snow, ice and rain
In the east, snow is falling from the Dakotas to the northeast and will continue through the day.
Although most of the snow will be relatively light, it could accumulate in some places, especially Minnesota.
“Totals may exceed 6 inches in Arrowhead Township, Minnesota,” the WPC said.
There are chances of blizzard conditions for parts of North Dakota and Minnesota, making travel extremely dangerous due to low visibility.
Wind gusts can reach up to 72 km / h, causing snow accumulations of up to 1.5 meters deep, according to the National Weather Service office in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Forecast from Monday to Wednesday. Green areas await rain; the fuchsia areas await ice; purple areas will have mixed conditions and blue areas expect snow.
A mix of winter weather conditions in parts of upstate New York and Pennsylvania will also create dangerous road conditions.
The accumulation of snow should be less than 6 millimeters, but it is easy for slippery areas to form on roads and bridges.
After this system, another will affect many of the same regions between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The next system will bring another round of snow for parts of the Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes.
The southernmost areas will receive all the rain. Most rainfall totals will stay below 50 millimeters. Some isolated places could record more.
Snow could reach the height of a one-story building in parts of the US, while others will have a rare white Christmas
Contrasting temperatures from coast to coast
The coldest temperatures this week will be in the northern plains, where many areas will find it difficult to exceed zero degrees.
Along with the cold will come strong winds that will create bitter frosts.
“High wind conditions will result in a dangerous wind chill ranging from -30 to -45 ° C, resulting in the issuance of wind chill advisories and warnings,” said the WPC.
Bismarck is one of those places. The NWS office there issued this stark warning: “Wind chill as low as minus 35 could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.”
On the outskirts of Seattle, temperatures on Sunday morning were just 12 degrees below zero, with a wind speed of 80 km / h, which is a dangerous wind chill of almost 28 degrees below zero.
This is extremely unusual for this area, which typically has a high temperature of around 4 ° C at this time of year.
Temperatures in Seattle are likely to stay below freezing through Thursday.
While the west will have to deal with extreme cold, those in the southeast will still need their shorts and sandals.
Temperatures will range from more than 11 degrees below average in the northern and western plains to more than 11 degrees above average in the south this week.
On Christmas Day the record heat spread from Texas to Virginia. Houston set a record at 28.8 ° C, along with Little Rock at 25.5 ° C, Nashville at 24.4 ° C and Cincinnati at 20.5 ° C.
High temperatures in the south will remain 11-20 degrees above normal this week.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 250 records of warm highs and lows could be broken with highs of 21.1 ° C and 26.6 ° C from Texas to the Carolinas.
Forecast for New Years Eve
Although New Year’s Eve is still a long way off for an accurate forecast, models are hinting that another system will hit the Pacific Northwest.
By New Year’s Eve it should be slowing down, but the region is likely to be hit by more rain and snow.
Rain could soak the Southwest as we celebrate the New Year. From Southern California to Arizona, it could rain quite a bit over the holiday weekend.
More snow is also expected in the Rockies.
The eastern half of the country looks relatively quiet for New Years Eve, aside from a few isolated showers in the southeast and some snow for northern New England.
Forecast for Friday. Green areas expect rain; the fuchsia areas are waiting for ice and the blue areas are waiting for snow.
The temperature trend will be very similar to the current one, with temperatures warmer than normal in much of the East, and cooler temperatures in the West.
New York City could even be on the mild side, as temperatures could hit 10 ° C on New Years Eve, with mostly dry conditions.
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By New Year’s Day, all could change as severe weather sets in across the Plains and central South.
It is still a bit early to tell, but we could see the potential for strong to severe storms impacting the region on the first night of the new year.
Temperatures will also begin to drop again for areas that have been enjoying warmer than normal weather.
The strong front that will bring rains and storms will also lead to cooler weather by the start of 2022.
– Monica Garrett, CNN meteorologist, contributed to this report.
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