US Weather Spotlight: 10-11-19

Strong early fall storm system continues to affect the northern Plains and parts of the Midwest through the weekend with unseasonably cold air and significant snowfall in parts of the Dakotas. Blizzard Warnings are in effect until midday Saturday in parts of north-central ND, and Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect over the majority of the rest of the Dakotas and parts of northwest MN into Saturday. Sustained winds in these areas will be in the 20-40mph range with gusts getting as high as 50-60mph in spots especially inside the blizzard warning region. Significant snow accumulations and widespread blowing snow are expected in eastern ND, northeast SD, and far northwest MN with the highest totals over a foot possible in the blizzard warned areas and lesser amounts into southern SD especially around I-90. Further east scattered rain and/or snow showers will affect the rest of MN, northern IA, WI and UP of MI through the weekend. 

A cold front associated with this system will be the focal point of showers and storms will heavy downpour potential from lower MI southwestward to east TX through tonight. 

The unseasonably cold air building in behind this system is producing freezes early today from central NE southwestward to eastern NM, and the freeze potential spreads east tonight with Freeze Warnings in effect from north-central WI all the way southwestward into parts of north-central TX.