A tightly wound, fast-moving clipper system will dive out of Alberta and into the Dakotas tonight, tracking into the Upper Midwest on Thursday morning. Along the north side of the surface low track 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected to accumulate across portions of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. South of the surface low strong northwest winds will gust over 60 MPH at times across Montana and Wyoming tonight, into the Dakotas, Nebraska, and western Iowa through the day on Thursday.
The background jet stream pattern over North America has struggled to produce meaningful storm systems impacting the Northern Plains in recent weeks, but this clipper system will be on the impressive side in several areas. I'm prepared to geek out over a little meteorological eye candy as the spiraling disturbance drops out of the Canadian Prairie into the Dakotas, and I think it may disrupt things with with a little more bite than some might be prepared for with a corridor of rapidly accumulating snow (amid a quiet season so far) and some really fierce winds.
The quick-hitting and fast accumulation of 4 to 8 inches of snow will cause travel disruptions on Wednesday night across North Dakota, and slow things across Minnesota and Wisconsin much of the day Thursday.
Power outages and travel disruptions are also possible in areas where winds are especially strong on Wednesday night across the Northern High Plains and Thursday in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and western Iowa. Blowing snow shouldn't be a widespread issue but could be troublesome where flurries occur south of the storm track... could a December dust storm be on the table in some areas where recent dryness and a lack of an early winter snow pack are met with 60+ mph wind gusts?
Maybe it's the slow pattern of late, but I'm pretty intrigued by this little storm system's potential to be fairly disruptive.