Cold, snowy weather will be the rule rather than the exception across many states the next few days, leading up to Halloween. While an all-out blizzard is unlikely – with roads closed and power outages for days – travel will be tough for truckers at times, and shippers should expect some minor delays in freight movement.
Other parts of the U.S. remain dry and threatened by wildfires, while some will see the return of soggy conditions.
Snowy situation
Heavy snow – up to 12 inches in some high elevations – and strong, gusty winds will spread across the Rockies today and tonight, October 28. Expect delays over mountain passes and some interstate stretches from Montana and Idaho to Wyoming and Colorado, including the Denver metropolitan area.
It will be important for truckers to pour winter additive into their diesel. Record low temperatures below zero are possible in the coldest locations of the Rockies the next few mornings, October 29-31. Daytime highs will struggle to warm past the single digits or teens above zero. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued various winter weather alerts in the region, which are housed inside the FrieghtWaves SONAR Critical Events platform in the map above.
Some of the snow will move into the Great Plains and Great Lakes this evening, ending by early Tuesday. Some spots from northern Missouri and eastern Iowa to Green Bay and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will receive three to six inches.
Then, Mother Nature may scare up a more potent snowstorm across the Great Plains and Midwest on Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 and 31. Computer models indicate up to 12 inches of total snowfall could wreak some havoc from northern Missouri and eastern Iowa to northern Illinois (north of Chicago) and southern Wisconsin. The NWS will probably begin issuing a Winter Storm Watch by sometime tomorrow.
Wet weather
Periods of heavy rain will come back to areas from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast later in the week, mainly Thursday and Friday, October 31 and November 1. Some parts of the Southeast could get doused with three to five inches of rainfall and localized flash flooding. This, after soaking rains, strong thunderstorms and flash flooding hit the region over the weekend.
Other notable weather
Wildfires across California continue to disrupt local businesses and supply chains, including those in the San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. Around one million customers across the state have no electricity, mainly because of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s public safety power shutoffs (PSPs).
The risk for new fires sparking and existing fires to spread quickly remains elevated due to relentless winds and extremely dry air. Road closures are possible due to the proximity of some fires and thick smoke to interstates. Strong winds may delay air cargo at Ontario International Airport (ICAO code: ONT), Sacramento International Airport (ICAO code: SMF), Bob Hope Airport (ICAO code: BUR) and Los Angeles International Airport (ICAO code: LAX).
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 officials now say that repairs will be finished ahead of schedule, no later than tomorrow, October 29. The company has entered into agreements with its interline partners to detour freight traffic over alternative gateways through the duration of the outage.
Tropical update
Super Cyclonic Storm Kyarr continues to spin over the Arabian Sea, producing winds of 150 mph around its eyewall. The storm should weaken by the time it brushes by the Oman coast later this week, with winds of 80 to 90 mph.
While Kyarr may stay centered offshore, high waves and gusty winds could slow down local and regional supply chains on the southern Arabian Peninsula, as well as container ships trying to move through shipping routes in the area.
Have a great day, and be careful out there!