Eastern Cornbelt:
Unseasonably warm air and a strong cold front triggered a rare tornado outbreak on Jan. 3 in central Illinois. At least seven tornadoes were confirmed across Logan, Christian, Macon, and Ford counties, but damage was described as minimal.
Rain and snow flurries were reported across Indiana as the week progressed, with highs dropping to the upper-30s on Jan. 5-6. Similar conditions were reported in Ohio and southern Michigan, with a greater chance of rain and snow in both states by the weekend.
Western Cornbelt:
Rain and freezing rain were reported across central Iowa early in the week, with light snow in northwestern areas of the state. Some locations reported up to an inch of rain as the system worked its way through Iowa, with up to a quarter inch of ice near Mason City and Fort Dodge.
Nebraska recorded much higher snowfall totals during the week, with central and northern areas seeing the greatest accumulation. More than 16 inches fell in Atkinson, with other totals reported at 8 inches in Ogallala, 6 inches in North Platte, and 4 inches in Trenton.
Northern Plains:
A powerful winter storm brought heavy snow to South Dakota and Minnesota during the first week of 2023.
Three-day snowfall totals in South Dakota from Jan. 2-4 included 12 inches in Sioux Falls, 16 inches in Humboldt, and 20 inches in Armour and Mitchell. Over the same time period, Minnesota collected 12-15 inches in Minneapolis and up to two feet in some northern parts of the state.
Northeast:
After a rainy start to the month, much of New England experienced cooler temperatures and another round of winter precipitation as the week progressed. Forecasts warned of sleet and freezing rain in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, with up to six inches of snow in the mountains.
Temperatures reached the 60s in New York City during the week, while western New York continued to dig out from the Christmas weekend blizzard that left 42 dead and prompted emergency and disaster declarations from state and federal lawmakers. Frigid temperatures at midweek resulted in a Code Blue declaration for Buffalo.
Highs across central and southern Pennsylvania climbed into the 50s early in the week, but much of the state was bracing for rain and snow showers as the week progressed, with temperatures dropping to the 30s and low-40s. Maryland residents saw highs in the 60s during the week, but cooler weather was on tap for the coming weekend.
Eastern Canada:
Most of Eastern Canada experienced a wintry mix of precipitation during the week. Southern Ontario was hit with rain and freezing rain at midweek, resulting in 5-15 mm of ice in some locations by Jan. 5. A heavier swath of snow was reported north of Ottawa, Ont., with 10-25 cm of accumulation reported in North Bay and south of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec.
Freezing rain and light snow were also reported in Montreal at midweek, while 5-15 cm of snow was expected in eastern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and eastern Nova Scotia by the end of the week.