Heat and Fire Weather Concerns West; Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms from Plains to mid-Atlantic

Thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall is expected from the Central Plains to the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and across the Southeast. Severe weather from the Upper Midwest to Central Plains increases on Friday. Major to Extreme HeatRisk continues across the Southern Plains to the lower Mississippi Valley late this week. Fire weather concerns for the northern Rockies and northern Plains today. Read More >

On the evening of March 31st, 2009, Tim Tevebaugh was driving home from work east of Craigmont in the southern Idaho Panhandle (see map below). Across the rolling hay fields, Tim saw a very unusual phenomenon. The snow rollers that he took pictures of are extremely rare because of the unique combination of snow, wind, temperature and moisture needed to create them. They form with light but sticky snow and strong (but not too strong) winds. Some snow rollers are formed by gravity (i.e. rolling down a hill), but in this case, the snow rollers were generated by the wind. These snow rollers formed during the day as they weren't present in the morning on Tim's drive to work.

Based on estimations from Tim as well as the blades of grass in the picture, most of the snow rollers were about 18" in height, while the largest rollers were about 2 feet tall.

Click on the thumbnails below for a full-size image.

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Heat and Fire Weather Concerns West; Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms from Plains to mid-Atlantic

Snow Rollers on the Camas Prairie - March 31, 2009

Based on estimations from Tim as well as the blades of grass in the picture, most of the snow rollers were about 18" in height, while the largest rollers were about 2 feet tall.

Click on the thumbnails below for a full-size image.