By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather reports the weather in the eastern Rockies and Plains has been swinging back and forth between springlike weather and winter’s last gasps.
After severe weather in northeastern Colorado Monday night, snow started to fall early Tuesday morning. As a tornado moved west of Akron, Colo., back in the city of Denver, heavy rain was changing to snow with a thunderstorm in progress.
In two hours, Denver underwent a 26-degree temperature drop, becoming a chilly 42 degrees at 6:50 p.m. MDT. Around this time, wind gusts also reached their peak of 55 mph.
Snow spreading north and east through Tuesday is expected to bring some significant snow totals through midweek. Blizzard conditions are occurring for some communities from Colorado to South Dakota as snow falls and winds of 50 mph and higher howl.
Stay up to date with this early-spring snowstorm by reading the live updates below.
UPDATES
9:50 a.m. CST Tuesday: The storm has its beneficial side as well. Multiple counties in drought-stricken central and northeastern Nebraska have received between 1 and 4 inches of rain in the past 24 hours.
9:40 a.m. CST Tuesday: Up to one inch of ice has accumulated on trees and power lines in the Sioux Falls, S.D. area. There are reports of downed trees.
9:00 a.m. CST Tuesday: Scottsbluff, Neb., has received 6 inches of snow thus far with extensive blowing and drifting snow. Chadron, Neb., has received about 1 foot of snow thus far with drifts to 3 feet.
8:35 a.m. CST Tuesday: Up to 7 inches of snow has fallen on Rapid City, S.D., thus far. The combination of wind, snow, temperature and other weather conditions are making for AccuWeather RealFeel temperatures of -20 degrees.
8:30 a.m. CST Tuesday: In Pueblo, Colo., the temperature was 26 degrees with ReelFeel temperatures near zero. However, it was not snow that was blowing around and reducing the visibility in the 60-mph winds, but rather dust.
7:47 a.m. CST Tuesday: Denver reached 71 degrees Monday afternoon but was 16 degrees this morning with an AccuWeather RealFeel temp of -14. That’s a temperature difference of 85 degrees.
7:13 a.m. CST Tuesday: 4.8 inches of snow reported Pierre, S.D.
7:05 a.m. CDT Tuesday: Ice storm reported in Custer County, Neb., with a precipitation total of 1.75 inches. Some tree damage was observed.
6:45 a.m. CDT Tuesday: Roads across much of Colorado are snow-covered (light blue), according to the Colorado Department of Transportation winter road conditions map. The dark blue indicates high wind, blowing snow and icy and snow-packed roads. A stretch of I-25 around Fort Collins is included in the dark blue area.
6:26 a.m. CDT Tuesday: More than 200 flights (arriving and departing) have been canceled at Denver International Airport, according to Flightstats.com. Meanwhile, the FAA reports that low clouds (associated with the same storm system) are causing moderate flight delays at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
5:36 a.m. CDT Tuesday: A 52-mph wind gust occurred at Ord Airport in Valley County, Neb.
4:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday: Traffic cameras show snow-covered highways across Denver.
3:45 a.m. CDT Tuesday: 5.5 inches of snow has been reported so far in Downtown Rapid City.
3:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday: The temperature in Denver is currently hovering at 19 degrees. This as a 51-degree drop from the temperature only 12 hours ago.
3:04 a.m. CDT Tuesday: Reports came in that I-15 between Bountiful and Layton in Utah were closed for high-profile vehicles. Winds gusted over 60 mph in Farmington.
2:55 a.m. CDT Tuesday: In Rapid City, S.D., snow has already been falling for 12 hours straight.
2:09 a.m. CDT Tuesday: In the transition from spring weather to wintry, North Platte, Neb., was seeing thundersnow before switching over to all snow.
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By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com
