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Atmospheric River to Begin to Impact the Northwest U.S.; Gusty Winds in the Northeast U.S.

A strong atmospheric river moving into northern California later Tuesday will bring a threat for moderate to heavy rainfall and flooding, gusty to high winds, and mountain snows for parts of the Northwest U.S. through at least Wednesday. Gusty winds and isolated rain and snow showers will continue in the Northeast U.S. Tuesday behind a cold front. Read More >

Overview

On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, a potent weather system crossed the northern plains. In our area, this resulted in some very strong northwesterly winds behind the cold front. The strongest wind gust was 79 mph at Wasta. These damaging winds caused numerous high-profile vehicles to be blown over, including a house that was being moved. Bands of snow accompanied the wind, which caused blowing snow and reduced visibility at times. A more significant band over south central SD resulted in the issuance of our first and second ever Snow Squall Warnings, where the high winds combined with falling snow to produce hazardous conditions. This was part of the same weather system that produced severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across portions of Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. Image
Hazardous conditions that prompted our first Snow Squall Warnings.
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