SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — As we all know, not every winter storm is the same in KELOLAND. A big factor in the type of weather we can get is where the storm is coming from and where it ends up.
Heading into winter, you are going to start hearing meteorologists talk more about the tracks of low-pressure systems. Where these systems originate from can give us an idea of what kind of weather we end up experiencing in KELOLAND.
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One of the most common types of winter storm tracks for us is called a Colorado Low. This kind of low-pressure system tends to develop in southeastern Colorado or northeastern New Mexico and then lift northeastward towards the Midwest. It gains strength as it meets clashing air masses. Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets up with colder air, which helps fuel cloud cover and heavy snow.
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Because Colorado Lows move more slowly, they have the potential to drop several inches of snow. And when the pressure gradient becomes tighter, our winds will increase, and that is when blizzard conditions develop. It is an overall intense storm system, but other systems we get can be intense too, just in a different way.
Sometimes we get lows that move in from western Canada; we call these Alberta Clippers. They are quick-moving and have limited moisture, which typically means snowfall totals are on the lighter side. That is good news compared to the Colorado Low, but there is a tradeoff. Strong winds still are a concern, and when combined with colder air being brought in, dangerous wind chills are possible.
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One more storm system that can sometimes affect eastern KELOLAND is the Panhandle Hook. Just like it explains in the name, this low forms near the Texas or Oklahoma panhandle. Then the hook part comes from the northeastward track it takes, but has similar effects to a Colorado Low…