April snow outlook: Cold blast brings ice and snow back to Midwest, Plains, and Northeast

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April snow and winter weather expected across Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, New England

Even as April begins, snow and other winter weather will return across the northern US. Parts of the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and New England will see several rounds of snow and potentially ice that could create dangerous travel conditions through the week.

Even as April begins, snow and other winter weather will return for millions across parts of the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and New England. Despite a major warmup set to take hold across much of the Plains, cold air from Canada will maintain its grip across the Northern Tier, setting the stage for several rounds of winter weather through the week.

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While April snow is not uncommon across these regions, this winter flashback will serve as a significant drop in an ongoing temperature roller coaster, with highs reaching the 70s in Minneapolis and Chicago and conditions in the 60s across New England on Monday. 

Several different storm systems will track across the Midwest and New England and tap into the cold air, which will deliver several rounds of snow and ice.

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Northern Plains & Upper Midwest

Light snow could break out across northern Minnesota on Tuesday, bringing snow or a wintry mix to places like Duluth, ahead of the first winter storm which is expected to reach the region by midweek.

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According to the FOX Forecast Center, freezing rain and sleet are expected to begin Wednesday evening across parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and southwest Minnesota, before spreading into Wisconsin and parts of Michigan, generally north of Interstate 96 and 69 corridors by early Thursday. 

This will impact the Minneapolis and Marquette, Michigan metro areas, coming just two weeks after a record blizzard blasted Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 

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A widespread area of 3–5 inches of snow is expected, with localized pockets of up to 8 inches of snowfall through Thursday.

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A second winter storm will follow closely behind, reaching the Dakotas and Minnesota by Friday and shifting east through the weekend, with snow lingering into Sunday.

This second winter blast will also pack wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph, leading to periods of whiteout driving conditions.

All told, parts of northern Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula could see more than a foot of snow total.

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New England

A different storm system will harness the cold Canadian air over New England beginning Tuesday and lasting through Wednesday, set to deliver a mix of snow and freezing rain across New York's North Country, as well as the Berkshires, Green Mountains and White Mountains.

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After this system exists east, the first system from the Midwest will arrive on Thursday, bringing snow, ice and sleet to the same parts of Northern New England and last into Saturday.

Cold air trapped near the ground will make it easier for ice to build up, weighing down power lines with the potential to cause widespread outages.

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"Areas of most concern will be those low-lying areas in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire where there is a level of melting between the cold layers," the FOX Forecast Center said.

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In addition, ice is expected to create dangerous road conditions, particularly when precipitation refreezes overnight.

A widespread coating to three inches of snow is expected across northern New England between Wednesday and Sunday. But depending on where the snow and ice line sets up, parts of northern Maine could pick up double-digit snow totals.