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Weather Underground midday recap for Wednesday, January 06, 2010.

A dynamic winter storm system brought hazardous wintry weather and a surge of cold, Arctic air into the Central US on Wednesday. Significant amounts of snowfall blanketed areas from the Northern and Central High Plains through the eastern portions of the Ohio Valley, while blustery, north winds reduced visibilities with periods of blowing and drifting snow. Blizzard conditions developed in central South Dakota through the afternoon and produced snow totals of up to 6 to 8 inches. Dangerous weather activity in the Central US caused regions from the Northern High Plains through the Ozarks and Eastern Valleys to remain under Winter Weather Advisories and/or Winter Storm Warnings. Meanwhile, the surge of cold, Arctic air gripped the eastern half of the nation and kept most of the region under frigid temperatures, bitterly cold wind chills, and numerous Wind Chill and Freeze Advisories/Warnings.

In the West, quieter weather crept back into the Northwest as a ridge of high pressure began to build over the Pacific Northwest. This transition allowed cooler air to filter into the region, while offshore flow began to dry out areas the Pacific Northwest coast. A few light showers persisted in the southwestern corner of Oregon and northern California. The rest of the West experienced dry weather conditions as high pressure remained the dominant weather feature of the region.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Wednesday have ranged from a morning low of -22 degrees at Havre, Mont. to a midday high of 79 degrees at Vandenberg AFB, Calif.