After record cold, Midwest and Northeast face another blast of winter

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- More winter weather is on the way for Americans in the Midwest who endured historic cold last week, forecasters said Monday.

The new storm is now brewing in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle saw its first snow of the season late Sunday, as did the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California and parts of Oregon. Forecasters said lower elevations, including areas ravaged by wildfires last year, are at risk of flooding.

The Interstate 5 and Interstate 80 corridors will be affected, especially in higher elevations. For Seattle, this is the first measurable snow in nearly a year.

"During Monday and Tuesday, the storm is forecast to drop southward along the California coast and bring rain showers at low elevations and snow showers to the mountains, including the passes in Southern California," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of the Sierra Nevadas where strong winds could translate to zero visibility.

By Tuesday, forecasters said, heavy snow will hit the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Michigan and it will continue for several days. Some areas could get 6 inches of snow or more.

The weather follows the frigid chill brought last week by what meteorologists called a polar vortex. At least 21 people died as a result of the weather.

Chicago was below zero for 52 straight hours, which was the city's fourth-longest stretch of negative temperatures on record. The longest stretch, 98 hours, occurred in December 1983.

Forecasters said there will be freezing rain and sleet in New England and New York on Wednesday, which will turn to snow Thursday.