Ice and snow to bring power outages, travel risks to northern US

Winter weather may have retreated across much of the central and eastern United States, but parts of the Upper Midwest and areas along the Canada border in the Northeast face more rounds of snow and ice this week. Enough will occur to create travel problems and possibly cause power outages.

Part of the same storm breaking down the two-week-long record heat wave in parts of the West will track toward the Upper Midwest by midweek. At the same time, a fresh surge of cold air will push southward from Canada.

Beginning Wednesday across parts of South Dakota and Nebraska, wintry precipitation will expand east-northeast Wednesday night into Thursday across the northern Great Lakes, central Ontario, southern Quebec and the northern tier of New England.

Significant late-season ice storm looms

The most dangerous aspect of the storm will be ice accumulation on trees and power lines.

Ice and snow to bring power outages, travel risks to northern US

Generally, it takes about one-quarter inch of ice accretion or more to cause extensive tree damage and widespread power outages. That is a possibility from northeastern Iowa to northern Maine, including parts of northern Michigan that were hit hard by multiple feet of lake-effect snow this winter.

Snow to pile up enough for slippery travel, even more outage risks

The same storm will also bring accumulating snow and slippery travel near and just north of the icy zone.

A swath of moderate to heavy snow is forecast from eastern South Dakota through southwestern, central and northeastern Minnesota to northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Because the snow is likely to be wet and clinging, it can also weigh down trees and power lines, similar to the ice threat farther to the southeast.

As another storm moves from the West into southern Canada over Easter weekend, a new zone of snow and ice will affect parts of Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, northern Michigan and far northern Maine.

Somewhat warmer air will push into areas affected by snow and ice across parts of Ontario, upstate New York and central Wisconsin, triggering a thaw that may help with storm cleanup.

As rounds of snow and ice affect the northern portions of the Central states and the northern tier of the Northeast, additional hazards are likely to develop. Rounds of heavy rain and severe thunderstorms will occur farther south into the Easter weekend.

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