Dave Hennen
CNN Meteorologist
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| Firefighters dig out a fire hydrant in Chicago |
CHICAGO, Illinois
(CNN) -- People in parts of the Midwestern and Eastern United
States should brace for a major snowstorm with near-blizzard conditions
this weekend, according to CNN Meteorologist Dave Hennen.
A low pressure
cell bearing extremely cold temperatures was moving Friday from
the Dakotas toward Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois. By Saturday
afternoon it was expected to yield near-blizzard conditions, including
heavy snow, strong winds and dangerous wind chill temperatures.
The wind chill factor in some areas was expected to make temperatures
feel like 40-to-50 degrees below zero, Hennen said.
Meanwhile,
people in parts of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin awoke Friday
to more freezing rain and snow.
Bad weather
in the Midwest has hampered routine activities all week. St. Louis
was digging out from 9 inches of snow and Springfield, Missouri,
was emerging from 14 inches of snow.
Chicago was
hit by up to 10 inches of snow, and ice on city streets resulted
in many auto accidents.
Gusty winds
in Denver were expected to create flight delays, while rain and
snow was predicted to make trouble in Salt Lake City, and the
state of Washington.
High wind
warnings were issued Friday in Denver, which was bracing for wind
gusts of 50-60 mph. Gusty winds forecast for the higher-elevation
mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana were expected
to be accompanied by accumulations of 6 inches of snow.
Elsewhere
in the West, a strong disturbance will produce heavy amounts of
scattered snow in the Rocky Mountains.
The Pacific
Northwest was expecting blustery conditions a day after winds
gusted to 90 mph on the Washington coast and snow and rain across
the state caused scattered power outages and traffic problems.
In Oregon,
wind speeds were clocked at about 50 mph along the coastline.
In Tulare
County, California, chilly winter weather has forced citrus fruit
growers to use powerful wind machines and water pumps to save
their crops from ruin. But a power shortage in the region was
threatening to force farmers to turn off those machines and pumps.
Meanwhile
on the East Coast, snow and ice were also forecast for central
New York and New England, including Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
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