Another Massive Winter Weather System Blowing East From The Pacific

Those in Denver and across the Rockies who were wishing for a White Christmas got a lot more than they bargained for -- about 50 inches more in some cases.

Last week's blizzard that shut down airports across the inter-mountain west stranded thousands and thwarted holiday travel plans across the country as the nation's air travel system struggled to recover from flight delays and cancellations -- some 1,700 cancellations in Denver alone.

If you're still digging your way out of the snow, you might want to put your shovel down -- it looks like Mother Nature is whipping up Act II.

A major low-pressure system pushing northwest from west Texas and northeastern New Mexico has been developing for a couple of days now. The brewing storm has already lashed California and Nevada with heavy rain and winds leaving thousands without power.

As it grows and moves west to higher elevations, the storm is expected to intensify. Denver is looking at snowfall to begin around noon today with ten to eighteen inches on the way.

As the sprawling storm strengthens, it's expected to drop significant amounts of snow from Montana south to New Mexico, and Arizona east to Kansas and Nebraska.

Forecasters say while accumulations won't reach amounts from last week's storm, the high winds threaten to pile snow into massive drifts. Meteorologists say the stinging winds will blow into Saturday.

As the storm continues east it's forecast to bring a mix of ice, snow and drenching rains across the plains states and into the Midwest.

And it won't stop there...

Further into the weekend computer models show the system kicking off wicked thunderstorms in the southeast as warm, moist Gulf air collides with the cold air moving east ahead of the storm. That's not good news for the residents of Daytona, FL who are just cleaning up from a strong line of thunderstorms that blew through on Christmas Day. The storms spawned several damaging tornadoes and destroyed 50 to 60 aircraft at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

The only area of the country to be spared looks to be the northeast. Light flurries are forecast in New England with temperatures hovering around winter average for the area.

So, just as the ripples effects of last week's storm subside -- airports across the country are still reporting lost, mis-routed and delayed luggage -- the nation's air travel industry is gearing up for more chaos.

The only good thing about this storm is the timing; it looks as though the worst will be over just in time for holiday travelers to get home after New Years.

FMI: www.nws.noaa.gov