Eastern Cornbelt:
Winter Storm Elliott hit the Eastern Cornbelt late in the week, bringing snow, freezing rain, high winds, and rapidly dropping temperatures.
Central Illinois was under a winter storm warning, with freezing rain reported on Dec. 21 and forecasts warning of 2-4 inches of snow by Dec. 23. Some parts of the state were expected up to 5-7 inches of snow, with bitterly cold temperatures moving in by the weekend. Forecasts warned of single-digit highs and wind chills dropping to a negative 25-35 by Christmas Eve.
Similar conditions were reported in Indiana, where 2-5 inches of snow was expected along with high winds and subzero temperatures. Indianapolis was bracing for a low of -6 late on Dec. 22. More than half of Ohio’s counties were under a winter storm warning as well, with forecasts warning of 1-3 inches of snow and subzero wind chills by the weekend.
Western Cornbelt:
Snow, wind, and frigid temperatures pounded much of the Western Cornbelt late in the week as Winter Storm Elliott plowed its way through the region.
Iowa received 2-5 inches of snow on Dec. 21-22, with actual temperatures dropping to zero in Clinton and wind chills falling to -35 or lower across the state. Temperatures across Nebraska fell to the single digits and teens below zero on Dec. 21. By Dec. 22, actual low temperatures across the state were down to minus 10-20, with wind chills in the negative 30s and 40s. Snowfall across the state ranged from under an inch to up to 3.6 inches in Beatrice.
Missouri was also in the storm’s path, with 1-5 inches of snow reported and wind chills dropping to 30-40 below in some locations by Dec. 23. Most of the state was under a winter storm warning during the week, with Missouri’s southern counties under a winter weather advisory.
California:
Heavy fog blanketed the San Joaquin Valley at times during the week, while Northern California was bracing for several storms during the final week of December. A cold weather alert was posted for parts of Southern California early in the week, but unseasonably warm temperatures were in the Christmas Day forecast.
Forecasts for the final week of December showed heavy rain and snow in the Sierra, including up to three inches of rain in Yosemite Valley.
Pacific Northwest:
Winter Storm Elliott dropped snow and freezing rain across the Pacific Northwest, and ushered in frigid temperatures across much of the region.
Precipitation picked up in western Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge on Dec. 22, while several inches of snow blanketed western Washington on Dec. 20. Parts of southern Idaho and western Montana were also buried under several inches of snow at midweek. Temperatures in eastern Oregon ranged from the single digits to the mid-20s as the week progressed, while below-zero wind chills were common across eastern Idaho by Dec. 21-22.
Lows in western Montana fell to the -30s in many locations at midweek, with wind chills dropping to the -40s. An actual temperature of -42 was reported in Casper, Wyo., on Dec. 22, which would set an all-time record low for that date, if verified.
Western Canada:
An arctic chill descended on much of Western Canada during the week, prompting extreme cold warnings from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Cold temperatures across the region on Dec. 20-21 included -2 C in Vancouver, B.C.; -20 C in Winnipeg, Man.; -27 C in Calgary, Alta.; -28 C in Edmonton, Alta., Regina, Sask., and Saskatoon, Sask.; and –32 C in Grande Prairie, Alta. More seasonal weather was once again on tap for the coming weekend, however.