The Weather Prediction Center
College Park, MD
Storm Summary Message
Storm Summary Number 4 for Central U.S. Winter Storm
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
900 AM CST Wed Mar 05 2025
...Powerful, near-record strength March storm system will continue
to bring blizzard conditions, high winds, flash flooding, and
severe weather from the central to eastern U.S. through tonight...
Blizzard Warnings are in effect across portions of Iowa, southern
Minnesota, and the UP of Michigan.
Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect
over portions of Wisconsin and southern Minnesota.
High Wind Warnings are active over much of the Central Plains into
the Upper Midwest and parts of the southern Appalachians.
Wind Advisories are in effect for much of the Midwest/Great Lakes,
Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Appalachians.
Flood Watches are in effect for portions of upstate New York.
For a detailed graphical depiction of the latest watches, warnings
and advisories, please see www.weather.gov
At 800 AM CST...Surface observations indicated an area of low
pressure near Burlington, Wisconsin, just to the southwest of
Milwaukee, with a minimum central pressure of 980 mb, or 28.94
inches of mercury. An occluded front arced east-southeast and then
southeastward from the low pressure center across Michigan and
into Ohio with a warm front extending eastward across the
Mid-Atlantic into southern New England, and a cold front sweeping
southward through the Appalachians, Southeast, and into the
northeast Gulf. A stationary boundary extended northeastward
across the Upper Great Lakes, separating colder air to the
northwest over southeast Canada and the Upper Midwest, and a
secondary cold front was pushing eastward across the Ohio Valley
and Southeast. NWS radar observations showed areas of widespread
moderate to locally heavy snowfall swirling around to the
northwest of the low center across the Upper Midwest with areas of
rain/wintry mix further south of the low into the Midwest. A
broad, arcing line of storms was also observed extending southward
from the Lower Great Lakes through the central Appalachians and
into the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with some more intense
thunderstorms focused in southwest Virginia and the Carolinas.
Surface observations also indicated widespread strong winds of
25-35 mph covering a vast area around the broader circulation of
the system across portions of the Plains, Midwest, and into the
Southeast.
...Selected preliminary Storm Total Snowfall in inches from 700 AM
CST Mon Mar 03 through 800 AM CST Wed Mar 05...
...COLORADO...
COPPER MOUNTAIN 1 SSW 13.0
VAIL 10.0
BRECKENRIDGE 9.0
...IOWA...
LITTLE SIOUX 1 NE 4.0
SYDNEY 3 WSW 4.0
HAMPTON 2.8
OSAGE 2.0
WAUCOMA 1 WNW 2.0
...MICHIGAN...
MOUNT ARVON 5 SE 4.5
WATERSMEET 11 WSW 4.4
WHITE PINE 4.4
REDRIDGE 4 ESE 4.1
MARQUETTE 3.7
...MINNESOTA...
DENNISON 2 NNE 13.0
CREDIT RIVER 6 SW 12.0
WOODBURY 1 SSE 11.8
OWATONNA 1 NE 9.0
MINNEAPOLIS 2 SSE 8.6
ALBERT LEA 1 SW 8.0
ST PAUL 2 WSW 8.0
ARTICHOKE 4.1
ROCHESTER 3 NE 3.5
...NEBRASKA...
ANSELMO 5.0
ATKINSON 4.0
OMAHA 1 E 4.0
TABLE ROCK 4 N 4.0
LINCOLN 1 ENE 3.0
...SOUTH DAKOTA...
WATERTOWN 4.0
WESSINGTON SPRINGS 4.0
PLATTE 3.5
...WISCONSIN...
CEDAR 1 SSE 10.0
WASHBURN 3 WSW 10.0
NYE 5 SE 8.5
SARONA 3 ESE 8.5
RIVER FALLS 3 S 8.0
RHINELANDER 6.8
HAYWARD 2 W 6.5
LADYSMITH 3 WNW 6.0
...Selected preliminary Peak Wind gusts in miles per hour earlier
in the event...
...COLORADO...
AROYA 61
LA JUNTA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 53
PUEBLO AIRPORT 49
LIMON AIRPORT 48
RAMAH 44
...IOWA...
CLARINDA 2 SSE 63
CLARION 2 WNW 62
GRUVER 2 WNW 59
AMES 2 S 58
LITTLE SIOUX 58
...KANSAS...
SHARON SPRINGS 68
ULYSSES 2 NNW 63
GREAT BEND AIRPORT 60
WINONA 9 WSW 60
MANHATTAN 58
MEDICINE LODGE 43
WICHITA AIRPORT 43
GUTHRIE AIRPORT 41
...MISSOURI...
ST JOSEPH AIRPORT 64
KANSAS CITY INTL AIRPORT 1 WSW 62
KIRKSVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT 61
CAMERON 2 WSW 58
...NEBRASKA...
FAIRBURY 2 WSW 77
BROKEN BOW 68
LINCOLN 64
GRAND ISLAND 4 NE 63
HASTINGS 62
FALLS CITY 1 E 60
TEKAMAH 2 ESE 60
MALTA BEND 4 E 58
...NEW MEXICO...
SALINAS PEAK 90
CLAYTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 82
ROSWELL AIR CENTER 77
SAN AUGUSTIN PASS 74
NORTH OSCURA PEAK 69
DORA 68
MINE 68
...OKLAHOMA...
INDIAN CITY 43
GUTHRIE AIRPORT 41
...TEXAS...
PINE SPRINGS 85
SNYDER 72
WHITES CITY 70
DALHART 12 SW 69
ROMERO S 66
AMARILLO 64
FRITCH 60
The strong low pressure center is forecast to lift northeastward
through the the Great Lakes today and into southeast Canada later
Wednesday evening. An arcing occluded/cold front extending
southeast and then south from the low center will sweep eastward
through the Lower Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast to the
Atlantic Coast. Areas of moderate to heavy snow will continue to
swirl around to the north and west of the low center across the
Upper Midwest/Great Lakes today with additional snowfall
accumulations of 4-8 inches expected from western Iowa northeast
through southern Minnesota and into central/northern Wisconsin.
Locally heavier snowfall of 8-12 inches, possibly exceeding 20
inches, is expected for the UP of Michigan along the shores of
Lake Superior. Very strong winds of 30-35 mph, with gusts as high
as 50-60 mph, will continue from the central Plains northeastward
into the Upper Midwest. This will lead to blizzard conditions
where snowfall continues and dangerous to potentially life
threatening travel conditions. More broadly, strong winds will
also be a concern across much of the the Midwest, Southeast,
Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic through today, generally tapering
off from western to eastern areas as the system shifts into
Canada. In addition to the snow and wind, a line of thunderstorms
along the cold front will sweep eastward across the
Northeast/Mid-Atlanitc/Southeast towards the East Coast bringing
the threat of heavy rain and isolated flooding as well as severe
weather.
The next Storm Summary will be issued by the Weather Prediction
Center at 900 PM CST. Please refer to your local National Weather
Service office for additional information on this event.
Putnam
Last Updated: 955 AM EST WED MAR 05 2025