Alberta Clipper to bring fresh wave of snow to northern Plains, Midwest

A quick-hitting Alberta Clipper system is poised to drop into the United States just in time for Christmas Day, bringing a swath of up to 6 inches of snow, forecasters say.

The system will primarily affect the North Central states and will last beyond the holiday, AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer said.

"The rapidly-approaching feature will dive southward from Sunday to Monday with an accumulation of snow expected from North Dakota to Ohio," she predicted.

Snow remains on the ground throughout this corridor following a massive storm that hit just as the holiday weekend was getting underway, creating days of blizzard conditions in the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, rapidly tumbling temperatures and a blanket of heavy snow that extended into the Ohio Valley.

This will result in "White Christmas" criteria -- having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground by Christmas morning -- being met in the impacted regions.

For some, however, there will not only be piles of snow on the ground, but also fresh snow falling on Christmas Day.

Snow is likely on Sunday from Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D., to perhaps as far south and east as Sioux Falls, S.D., and Minneapolis by the afternoon hours.

The bitter cold preceding the clipper, with temperatures remaining below-zero degrees Fahrenheit for nearly the past week in some parts of the northern Plains, will result in the snow instantly sticking to roads and sidewalks, making them slippery.

Those heading out on the road to their Christmas Day destinations will want to exercise extreme caution.

Also, gusty winds accompanying the clipper system can result in reduced visibility and prolonged blowing and drifting concerns.

South and west of the swath of accumulating snow, a narrow corridor of icy mix can occur across the northern Plains. This can spread into the central Plains by early next week, following along the storm's track.

During Sunday night into Monday, AccuWeather meteorologists say the storm's path will bring a covering of fresh snow to places such as Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

"Cities such as St. Louis and Indianapolis can receive snow amounts ranging from 1-3 inches as this storm quickly tracks across the Midwest and south of the Great Lakes," Smithmyer said.

Chicago is expected to be near the northeastern edge of accumulating snowfall, with the latest forecast calling for at least a fresh coating from late Sunday night to Monday.

"The highest snow totals will be focused across a zone from central and southeastern North Dakota to south-central Minnesota, where 3-6 inches can accumulate with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 10 inches possible in the heaviest bands of snow," Smithmyer said.

The clipper is expected to run into a wall of dry air across the East beyond Monday, which should result in no more than a few flurries or snow showers reaching the Appalachians by Monday night into Tuesday. The wind circulation around the clipper should help to lessen the record-setting snow that has been pouring off of the Great Lakes during the holiday weekend.

People who have had enough of the harsh cold and bouts of snow will receive a late Christmas gift from Mother Nature next week.

On the heels of the harsh cold wave and this latest snow-producer, the weather will trend milder during the early part of next week, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Gresiak.

During the peak of the milder weather next week, temperatures are projected to be as much as 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit higher than during their lowest point in the deep freeze prior to Christmas.