Wind, rain and snow could slow drivers a bit in several regions of the U.S. today, October 25. The messy weather continues into the weekend.
Pesky Plains
Extremely strong crosswinds will continue to make deadheading quite risky across portions of central and western Montana through this evening. Even drivers with full truckloads may have problems. Gusts could reach 60 to 80 mph along the I-15 and I-90 corridors through Butte, Bozeman, Helena and Great Falls, in addition to US-2 from Cut Bank to Havre. Pilots will have a rough road ahead, too. So, some air cargo may be slightly delayed at Great Falls International Airport (ICAO code: GTF).
Then, a fairly quick burst of moderate to heavy snowfall will hit northwestern Montana tonight, fading by early afternoon Saturday, October 26. This will affect travel mainly along US-2 from Essex to Marias Pass, SR-200 from Bonner to Greenough, and US-12 from Garrison to Elliston and over McDonald Pass, in addition to roads through the Butte area. The snowfall, along with very gusty winds from the north, will spread across Wyoming the remainder of Saturday afternoon and evening. Truckers will have to be extra careful on the I-25 and I-90 corridors. Bowing snow will reduce visibility at times due to near white-out conditions. Snow will also creep into portions of South Dakota and north of I-80 in Nebraska.
The highest total snow accumulations – six to 12 inches – are possible for much of southeastern Wyoming and northern Sioux County in the Nebraska Panhandle. This includes the I-80 corridor between Rawlins and Cheyenne, as well as the I-25 corridor between from the Colorado-Wyoming border to Douglas, Wyoming. Other locations that may see this heavy snowfall include, but are not limited to Lusk, Torrington, Saratoga, the Snowy Mountains and the northern Laramie Range.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a High Wind Warning and winter weather alerts for the soon-to-be affected areas. All NWS alerts, as well as potentially impacted assets like airports and oil facilities, are housed inside the FreightWaves SONAR Critical Events platform as seen on the featured maps.
Soggy South
Periods of heavy rain will drench the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys today and tonight, moving into the Ohio and middle Mississippi valleys on Saturday. Two-day totals of three to six inches are possible from Baton Rouge to Mobile, northward to Memphis and eastern Arkansas.
These areas are under a Flash Flood Watch from the (NWS. Localized flash flooding could lead to roadblocks along the I-10, I-20 and I-55 corridors. Flash flooding may also cause problems from western Kentucky and southern Illinois up to the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
While flooding may be an issue, the wet weather will quench the South’s thirst for much needed rainfall. Many parts of the region are still suffering from severe to extreme drought. This round of rain won’t wipe out the drought, but it will steer the situation in the right direction.
In addition to the rain, a few severe thunderstorms could pop, producing isolated tornadoes and large hail from New Orleans and Baton Rouge into southern Mississippi.
Other weather today, October 25
High winds and hot, dry conditions in California will continue to make it difficult for crews to contain wildfires across the state. This will be a significant issue through the weekend. High Wind Watches and Warnings, in addition to Red Flag Warnings, remain posted from San Diego to Los Angeles, as well as in Northern California across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.
New fires could easily start, and existing ones may spread out of control. Afternoon relative humidity levels will be extremely low – less than 10% in many areas. Gusts of 50 to 70 mph will be common, with stronger gusts possible through some canyons.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has issued public safety power shutoffs in order to prevent potentially downed power lines from sparking new fires. Smoke from fires could reduce visibility as it blows across the I-5, I-8 and I-10 corridors.
Additional notes
Norfolk Southern Railway (NYSE: NSC) service remains suspended in Missouri from Kansas City to Moberly – a 115-mile stretch. Flooding in early October caused a logjam that led to the collapse of the railway’s bridge over the Grand River in Brunswick, Missouri. Norfolk Southern recently announced that repairs will be finished no later than November 6. The company has entered into agreements with its interline partners to detour freight traffic over alternative gateways through the duration of the outage.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend, and be careful out there!