A potent winter storm has been lumbering across the Northern Plains over the past two days. Like a giant pinwheel, the central low pressure is surrounded by strong, counter-clockwise winds; pulling in warm, moist air ahead of the front, these winds force the air to rise and cool as it moves west, dropping heavy snow across the Dakotas. On the west side of the storm, which is now centered along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, strong, north winds are dragging frigid air down from Canada and, combined with the heavy snow, are producing blizzard conditions across the northern High Plains.
Here in Missouri, on the south edge of the storm, the winds are from the west, ushering in cool, cloudy weather and occasional showers. As the storm moves into the Great Lakes, our clouds will disperse but a steady, northwest wind will augment the chill for the next few days. It is, after all, November and winter is gaining control.
