Eastern Cornbelt:
Temperatures across central and northern Illinois fell from the 60s on Nov. 29 to the 20s and 30s on Nov. 30, and the colder weather was accompanied by gusty winds. Slightly warmer weather was on tap for Dec. 1-2, with highs reaching the upper-30s and low-40s.
Similar conditions were reported in Indiana and Ohio, although parts of both states were expecting an increased chance of rain by the weekend, along with temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
Western Cornbelt:
Snow blanketed much of Iowa on Nov. 29, as temperatures dropped below freezing. A winter weather advisory was in effect at midweek for parts of central Iowa and southeastern Nebraska, with highs topping out in the 30s across both states.
Strong storms also churned through parts of Missouri on Nov. 29, bringing damaging winds and freezing rain to some areas. The gusty winds were expected to linger through the week, prompting a wind advisory for most of the state on Dec. 2.
California:
Much of California was bracing for a pair of storms that were expected to bring heavy snow to higher elevations and needed rainfall to valleys by the weekend.
Forecasts warned of multiple feet of snow in California’s Sierra on Dec. 1-4, along with high winds. The rainy season is off to a promising start in the state, with Sierra snowpack as of Nov. 30 already 42% above average for this time of year. Rainfall totals from both storms are expected to be in the 1-2 inch range in Northern California and an inch or less in Southern California.
Pacific Northwest:
Much of the Pacific Northwest was expecting snow by the end of the week, along with potentially heavy rain in the coastal valleys.
Winter Storm Carli dumped up to two feet of snow in the Washington Cascades during the week, with accumulation in Seattle ranging from 1-6 inches. The combination of wet snow and strong winds knocked out power to more than 60,000 western Washington residents on Nov. 29-30.
Heavy wind and rain also hit the Portland, Ore., area at midweek, leaving about 9,000 residents without power on Nov. 30. Another system was expected to drop several more inches of precipitation in the Cascades over the coming weekend.
A winter weather advisory or winter storm warning was issued for all of eastern and central Idaho on Dec. 1-2, with forecasts warning of 5-25 inches of snow, depending on location. A winter weather advisory was also in effect for most of Montana on Dec. 1.
Western Canada:
After several winter storm warnings across the Prairies earlier in the week, arctic air moved into the region at midweek, causing temperatures to plummet after a warmer-than-normal November.
Blowing snow advisories were in effect for parts of Alberta and central and southern Saskatchewan as the week began, with reports of 50-70 km/h winds and 15-20 cm of fresh snowfall. More snow was likely across parts of southern Saskatchewan by the weekend, while temperatures in Calgary and Edmonton were expected to fall to -20 C on Dec. 1.
Temperatures in Manitoba plunged to -19.3 C in Winnipeg at midweek. Extreme cold warnings were in effect for parts of the province on Dec. 1-2, with wind chills expected to fall to -50 C in northern Manitoba by the end of the week and more snow likely across southwestern Manitoba.