What’s Next After Winter Storm Blair? Meteorologist Warns of New Threats

Winter storm Blair rolled through the Great Plains and parts of the Corn Belt over the weekend, dropping significant snow in Missouri and Kansas, while Oklahoma received ice storms. Areas in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Virginia, and Missouri were still dealing with power outages to co-ops. Four deaths resulting from the storm have been confirmed.

Erin Kelly’s article on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association website reported that more than 110,000 electric co-op consumers across the United States lost power due to Blair — and not all power has been restored. Perryville, Missouri, co-op Citizens Electric Corp. explained why the storm had such an impact on rural areas.

“When ice freezes on power lines and equipment, it causes the lines to gallop with the wind. The lines then slap into each other, which damages equipment and causes blinking lights and power outages,” the company said on its Facebook page. 

Topeka, Kansas, received 14 inches of snow  from the storm — which buried already-dormant winter wheat in the area. Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather’s lead long range meteorologist, said the dormancy of winter wheat will likely lessen the damage done to crops across the Heartland. 

He did say, though, that some specialty crops in the path of Blair and upcoming winter storms could be more at risk — particularly in the Southeast. 

“If temperatures get down to about the freezing mark that could have an impact on strawberries,” Pastelok said.

While Blair likely didn’t put winter wheat crops at risk in the top growing states, livestock are certainly an at-risk category during the winter storms. Pastelok said this will be a concern area in the coming days as the aftermath of Blair could be met with a new winter storm later in the week. 

More Storms Coming for Southern Corn Belt

It has barely been two days since the final vestiges of winter storm Blair petered out on the East Coast. Pastolek and AccuWeather are warning of a new winter storm coming through the southern U.S. later this week that could pose a risk to farms and ranches in affected states. Pastolek said he has heard from energy clients in Texas that are worried about the combination of snow, ice, and cold weather on power lines throughout the state and the potential for power outages.

“Anytime you get these deep cold snaps — it’s not as bad as we’ve seen in other years,” Pastolek said. “But to throw on the snow and ice and the coming system that’s coming up this Thursday and Thursday night, we’re looking at snow anywhere from a good chunk of West Texas, close to Dallas and ice from north of San Antonio, Austin, and up toward northeast Texas. That’s a lot of stress on the livestock region there.

“I think it is going to have an impact here Thursday night across Texas, Oklahoma, and southwest Arkansas.”

In preparation for the storm sweeping through Texas, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller shared tips for farmers and ranchers to keep farmland and livestock safe during bitter cold, snow, and ice. Miller recalled the 2021 arctic blast that swept through Texas, cutting out power for many and resulting in more than 700 deaths, Miller said. 

“Join me in helping ensure every Texan is well-equipped to face the challenges of the week’s forecasted severe winter storm,” said Miller. “Taking a few simple steps now can save a lot of heartache and expense later.”

Among the advice given by Miller (full list here) includes stocking up in the event of a power outage, adjusting feeding regimens for livestock, and making sure adequate shelter is available for those animals. 

“Texas farmers and ranchers are some of the toughest folks around, but even the toughest can’t beat Mother Nature without preparation,” Miller said. “By taking care of your livestock and equipment, you’re not just protecting your investment — you’re ensuring that Texas agriculture continues to thrive, no matter what the season throws our way.”

After rolling through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas, Pastolek said the storm is going to go through Kentucky and Tennessee before continuing into Virginia and the East Coast. 

More to Come?

The ongoing cluster of winter storms in early January could continue into the next week, Pastolek said, with a third winter storm possibly heading further north into the Upper Midwest. 

Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were largely unaffected by winter storm Blair and are not in the firing line for this week’s round of storms; but Pastolek said he is keeping track of a possible storm that could form the following week. He said it could stand as one last storm and cold surge before a weakening of the cold front in the latter portion of January. 

“It looks a little farther north [this time],  so maybe a problem more in Iowa and in Wisconsin. I want to see how it develops, but still there’s a third chance — then there’s cold that comes in behind that,” Pastolek said. “That might be the caboose of the real cold and it gets pulled away with the system, and then you still get some cold shots but they’re not like what we’re seeing right now.”