Where will Winter Storm Gerri hit next? More snow and severe wind expected Thursday, Jan. 11

Winter Storm Gerri will push into the Plains on Thursday and as the strong low pressure system moves east it will bring widespread severe weather. The eastern half of the nation can expect heavy snowfall, rain and strong winds.

In its wake it will leave “dangerously cold temperatures for the northern Rockies and Plains through this weekend,” according to the National Weather Service. Numerous weather alerts have been issued in nearly ever state in the lower 48.

Where will Winter Storm Gerri hit next? More snow and severe wind expected Thursday, Jan. 11

This latest weather pattern will follow a track similar to that of Winter Storm Finn earlier this week. This high impact storm system will move out of the southern Plains heading northeast to the Great Lakes into Friday.

From eastern Nebraska to central Michigan, widespread heavy snowfall is expected with between 6 to 12 inches of snow. Lower Michigan could see over a foot of snow. The tight pressure gradient around the low will produce strong winds and blizzard conditions to the northwest of the system.

Rainfall to the southeast of Winter Strom Gerri

The Deep South and Southeast could see another round of severe weather through late Friday including the threat of tornadoes. However, the main threat will be damaging winds.

Precipitation in the form of rain is expected to be less than that experienced with Winter Storm Finn. Nonetheless, flooding continues to be a concern for the Northeast. “There may be some areas of 1-2 inch rainfall totals across portions of the northern Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast that could cause some instances of flooding across already saturated grounds,” according to meteorologists.

Frigid temperatures in the wake of Winter Storm Gerri

Behind the low pressure system “a very cold airmass will move into the Rockies and Northwest,” the National Weather Service warns. “Temperatures are forecast to be 20 to more than 40 degrees below normal from the Northwest into the Plains by Friday.”

The artic airmass will continue settling south and east across the Plains, Midwest and into the Ohio Valley. “Temperatures will be brutal compared to the relatively mild conditions that have been experienced for much of the winter season up to this point in time,” says the National Weather Service.

Daytime highs could be subzero across Montana and parts of North Dakota, while the Central Plains into Iowa and Minnesota the frigid high temps will likely be in the 0s and 10s. “This arctic airmass will be lengthy in duration and persist well beyond the end of the week,” meteorologists forecast.