Eastern Cornbelt:
Strong winds slammed parts of northern Illinois and northern Indiana at midweek, followed by brutally cold weather. Wind gusts up to 50 mph were reported, with temperatures falling from the 30s to the single digits on Jan. 5. Wind chills later in the week were expected to fall to the -10 range in some areas.
The arctic blast also hit central Indiana at midweek, with temperatures falling 25 degrees in a matter of hours. Highs later in the week were expected to top out in the upper teens, with wind chills in the single digits.
Northern Ohio was hit with 40-50 mph winds as well, along with several inches of lake-effect snow later in the week. The arrival of cold temperatures ended a spate of unseasonably warm weather in central Ohio, where sources reported more than four inches of rain during the last week of December.
In Michigan, 45-mph winds and 4-10 inches of snow were reported in central and southern areas of the state, with parts of the Upper Peninsula collecting up to a foot of snow. “We are still harvesting corn here in Michigan, and there are some acres of soybeans yet to go,” said one contact. “They were waiting for this freezing weather so they could get into the fields.”
Western Cornbelt:
A winter weather advisory was in effect for eastern and northern Iowa at midweek, with reports of gusty winds, blowing snow, and temperatures dropping to the low teens and single digits after highs in the upper-30s earlier in the week.
A winter storm warning was also issued in western Nebraska at midweek, with forecasts warning of 4-8 inches of snow and gusty winds. Wind chills reportedly fell to as low as -35 in locations such as Oshkosh, Lewellen, and Arthur on Jan. 5-6.
Parts of Missouri also got a shot of winter weather during the week. A winter weather advisory was issued for the Kansas City area at midweek, with up to two inches of snow reported, along with high winds that limited visibility.
Northern Plains:
Bitterly cold, snowy weather blanketed the Northern Plains during the first week of 2022. Snowfall totals in Minnesota at midweek included 4-5 inches in the Twin Cities and more than six inches in Duluth, with the entire state under either a wind chill advisory or warning as the week progressed. Lows were expected to drop to -20 in western areas of the state on Jan. 6.
North Dakota residents were bracing for wind chills down to -50 during the week, with midweek snowfall totals ranging from 2-5 inches, depending on location. South Dakota was also hit with winter weather advisories and wind chill advisories during the week due to high winds, blowing snow, and wind chills as low as -30.
Northeast:
Much of New England was under a winter storm warning late in the week, with forecasts warning of 4-6 inches of snow in many locations and up to eight inches in a few areas. The latest system arrived on the heels of an earlier storm that coated the region with freezing rain at midweek.
Wind chills in the single digits and low teens were reported across western New York and Pennsylvania at midweek. Forecasts warned of 3-8 inches of snow by Friday across western Pennsylvania and 2-6 inches in eastern locations of the state.
Maryland was also in the crosshairs, with another 2-4 inches of snow expected by Friday after a storm earlier in the week blanketed parts of the state with up to 3-5 inches of accumulation.
Eastern Canada:
Winter weather conditions were reported across Eastern Canada during the first week of the year. Strong winds lashed parts of southern Ontario at midweek, followed by lake-effect snow squalls that left more than 20 cm of accumulation in some locations.
Similar conditions were reported in southern Quebec, with 5-15 cm of snow reported along the St. Lawrence River and temperatures falling to -20 C during the week. A powerful nor’easter was in the weekend forecasts for the Maritimes, with forecasts warning of potential power outages from heavy snow, ice, and rain.
Much colder weather was on tap for the coming weekend, along with more snowfall. Some areas were preparing for up to 20-40 cm of accumulation by the weekend.