Snow, ice and rain will cover a nearly 2,000 mile stretch of real estate from New Mexico to the Carolinas, potentially affecting 21 million people.  Lubbock, TX was the hardest hit area earlier today with reports of heavy freezing rain and thundersnow.  Thundersnow is fairly unusual.  It only occurs 6.3 times a year on average with March being the prime month.  A large temperature gradient north to south over Oklahoma and Texas is responsible for the strength this winter storm is taking on.  There has been a 30 degree temperature drop in north Texas and Oklahoma within the last 24 hours.  Warm, moist air is allowed to ride up and over the much colder air to the north resulting in this wintery cocktail.  The upward motion has been so intense at times that thunderstorms have developed, even in the cold air.  In addition, the storm is moving at a snails pace as the steering winds aloft are rather weak.  Ice and snow amounts will be significant in spots because of the storm’s sluggish movement and intensification.  Schools are closed, thousands are without power, and major interstates are closed in Texas and Oklahoma.

Ice accumulation will be up to 1″…a potentially crippling ice storm.  The sidewalk at the Southwest Oklahoma State University looked like a sheet of ice.

Tomorrow, the storm will maintain it’s strength as it taps into some Gulf of Mexico moisture.  By then, however, strong upper level winds will pick it up and the storm will begin to accelerate.  By Saturday, the storm will loose some of it’s pep’, vim and vigor.

Tomorrow:

Saturday:

Over the weekend, the lake effect snow will taper down in the Northeast but the cold air will remain in place over much of the northern U.S.  Light rain returns to the Pacific Northwest this weekend as a weak storm move onshore.

Have a good one,

Kristin Clark

WeatherNation Meteorologist