At a Glance

An 'Alberta Clipper' system brought some light, first snow of the season to parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes.This follows a strong storm that brought blizzard conditions to parts of the Dakotas.

Parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes saw their first snow of the season this weekend from a second weather system immediately on the heels of a "November witch" storm that brought blizzard conditions for some.

This second system is cutting through the Midwest in addition to the low pressure system that is now moving into the Northeast.

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This second system, known as an "Alberta Clipper" for its origin in western Canada, moved into the western Great Lakes Saturday night.

By Sunday night, the "Clipper" may wring out some wet snow over parts of the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast. Lake-effect snow will continue in the typically favored zones east of the eastern Great Lakes.

Monday, light to moderate snowfall is expected over parts of the Lower Great Lakes and Central Appalachians. Rainfall is expected over coastal New England.

Somewhat higher totals are expected in Great Lakes snowbelts, where bands of lake-effect snow may persist through Monday.

Expect roads to become slushy and snow-covered in these areas. This is particularly true for untreated bridges and overpasses at night.

Storm #1: Nov. 11-12

This first storm, a type sometimes referred to locally as a "November witch" (more on those historic storms below), produced generally less than 6 inches of snow in the eastern Dakotas and Minnesota.

But its high winds made for difficult travel.

Wind gusts up to 82 mph have been reported near the Interstate 90 corridor in western South Dakota. on South Dakota roads, according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Gusts over 40 mph have been clocked from Montana to Colorado to southern Wisconsin with a gust up to 69 mph was reported near Valentine, Nebraska.

The combination of snow and wind led to blizzard conditions in parts of northeastern South Dakota and western Minnesota.

Friday, produced sudden reductions in visibility, a danger to motorists and often a contributor to multi-vehicle accidents, in parts of , while providing the first snow of the season, there.

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Notorious 'November Witches'

It turns out this time of year has been a sweet spot for strong storms like the first system in the upper Midwest.

Early November, as well as late October, has a long, notorious history of intense Midwest windstorms. The "Witches of November" are sometimes used to describe these storms that often pack powerful winds.

Winds from these storms often cause tree damage and power outages and are a major hazard for shipping on the Great Lakes.

One of the most well-known witch storms sank a massive iron-ore ship called the in Lake Superior in November 1975, claiming 29 sailors. That event inspired a from Gordon Lightfoot the following year.

Another such storm in 1998 was actually stronger than the 1975 Edmund Fitzgerald storm, and produced wind gusts over 70 mph in some areas of the Great Lakes. In , a similar storm produced damaging winds from Oklahoma to upstate New York.

When there is snow accompanying these storms, the resulting blizzard can be crippling.

The was Minnesota's deadliest (49 killed), where winds whipped snow drifts up to 20 feet deep, according to weather historian Christopher Burt. Ten ships sank or ran aground in Lake Michigan, killing another 66.

The deadliest storm in Great Lakes history, the Great Lakes "hurricane" of November 1913, sank a dozen ships, killed an estimated 260 to 300 people, produced 80 mph winds in Buffalo and remains the 1-day and 2-day snowstorm of record today in Cleveland (21.4 inches), according to Burt.

Daily weather map showing the Great Lakes storm on Nov. 10, 1913.

(NOAA/NWS)

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