Blizzard Conditions Hit Parts of the Central/Western U.S.! (credit: WYDOT via NWS Cheyenne, Wyoming)

DISCUSSION: As the low pressure system now positioned across far western Nebraska (and also near the border of far eastern Colorado as well as far northwestern Kansas) continues to intensify move off to the northeast, blizzard conditions will continue to persist across many places.  That being said, it goes without saying that this storm has has major Christmas Day impacts across sections of states such as Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and then some.  Hence, this late December winter storm has very wide-ranging impacts across many parts of the country throughout the day today.  In the wake of this powerful winter storm, it is imperative for those people living in areas being impacted by this storm to be patient and wait for the worst of the wintry impacts to subside before traveling!  

If you must get out and about, be sure to leave plenty of extra time to travel any places of interest and so forth.  In the upper image (attached above) you will note the shot from earlier this afternoon (i.e., at 1:39 PM MST) along part of Interstate-80 from Summit Cheyenne to Laramie in eastern Wyoming.  The lower image (attached above) captured a freeze-frame shot of thundersnow on a highway webcam near Lodgepole which is a city also located along Interstate-80 in far western Nebraska (specifically near Sydney, Nebraska). It is always very neat to see when a highway webcam is able to capture the occurrnece of thundersnow during any given winter weather event.  

To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across North America, be sure to click here!

©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz