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Winter storm Friday to be followed by stronger storm Saturday and Sunday

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Missouri will be impacted by two winter storms Friday through Sunday. A storm on Friday could cause some travel hazards, then a system Saturday night through Sunday could be a significant winter storm posing threats to travel and utilities.

This graphic was offered by the Pleasant Hill NWS office, which covers primarily northwest Missouri.

This graphic was offered Thursday morning by the Pleasant Hill NWS office, which covers primarily northwest Missouri.

Friday morning, precipitation will spread into the western portion of the state and push east. It is expected to begin as a mix of rain, freezing rain, snow and sleet that could cause some glazing of ice and make morning driving hazardous. Warmer temperatures in the afternoon will cause most precipitation to change over to rain in the afternoon and allow for some melting of any ice, according to Meteorologist Ryan Cutter with the National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill.

“It will be a little dicey and we’ll have to see where all that freezing precip decides to fall,” says Cutter.

That storm is expected to end Friday evening with some snowfall perhaps lingering in far north Missouri.

The more significant storm is expected to begin Saturday night, but much uncertainty remains about that storm.

Meteorologist Andy Boxell with the National Weather Service office in Springfield says there is a great deal of confidence that a lot of wintry precipitation will fall in Missouri Saturday night through Sunday, but questions about temperatures and track remain.

This weather graphic was offered Thursday morning by the Springfield NWS office.

This weather graphic was offered Thursday morning by the Springfield NWS office, which covers primarily southwest Missouri.

“We’re not only concerned about the temperature here at the surface,” says Boxell, “but also further up in the atmosphere … if we’re just cold enough we may see more sleet and snow. A little bit warmer in some cases and maybe more of a freezing rain event.”

As for what will fall, Boxell says, “In all likelihood there will be a portion of the state that sees fairly significant snow, a portion that sees fairly significant sleet and freezing rain accumulations,” but it remains unclear where the varying forms of precipitation will fall.

The Saturday night and Sunday storm is expected to pose threats to both travel and utilities.

In regard to travel, Cutter says, “There could be enough snow that [road crews] will need to probably get out and maybe plow over the weekend, especially as you get further north in Missouri with several inches of accumulation expected.”

For south Missouri Boxell says temperatures will be cold enough to allow for accumulation on elevated roadways, tree limbs and power lines.

“Freezing rain is the worst-case scenario and that, combined with what is going to be a pretty stiff east wind could create some issues where that freezing rain does fall.” He notes that where sleet falls, structural problems could also arise because its accumulation can add significant amounts of weight to structures.

Cutter says some snow could continue Sunday night but the storm should come to an end by Monday. It is expected to be followed by very cold temperatures for Monday, with daytime highs struggling to get into the teens and overnight lows into the singled digits and negative readings in north Missouri and only slightly warmer in southern Missouri..

Both meteorologists encourage Missourians to watch and listen for the latest updates on both storms.

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri:  Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri:  St. Louis

In southwest Missouri:  Springfield

In southeast Missouri:  Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties:  Davenport, IA

‘Life threatening’ temperatures, more snow on the way for Missouri

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The National Weather Service says despite some flurries, no more accumulating snow is expected today.

This weather graphic stresses the NWS' concern that wind chills tonight could reach "life threatening" lows.

This weather graphic, courtesy of the National Weather Service, stresses the NWS’ concern that wind chills tonight could reach “life threatening” lows.

What forecasters like Mike July are concerned about is the wind that through the day is blowing snow into drifts and back onto cleared roads, but more importantly will lead to dangerous wind chills overnight through tomorrow morning.

“Especially when you get anything 25 below or colder we tend to lump it into the life threatening category,” says July. “Anybody that’s outdoors and not properly dressed and exposed skin … if you don’t take the right precautions and your outdoors for any extended period of time, it indeed can become life-threatening.”

Wind chills are predicted to reach as low as 26-degrees Farenheit below zero tomorrow morning in far northwest Missouri.

In southeast Missouri the Weather Service is also warning that winds could cause iced-over limbs to fall, and statewide a re-freezing of road surfaces is possible.

Two more storms are being predicted, one Friday night into Saturday and one Monday night into Tuesday, but July says neither of those is expected to be as strong as the one that just ended.

“The next couple of days we’re going to be in a very fast-moving environment. We’re going to have weak systems coming through … the farther you go down the road, the lower the confidence, unless we have a storm like this last one that we’d been looking at for almost a week in advance.”

July says both of those storms could produce some snow accumulation, but amounts are predicted to be much less than this last storm. It will fall on top of the snow now on the ground, he says, as temperatures are expected to remain cold through next week.

Some parts of north Missouri are reporting as much as a foot of new snow making for 16 inches of snow on the ground, and wind has blown drifts reported as deep as 30 inches.

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri:  Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri:  St. Louis

In southwest Missouri:  Springfield

In southeast Missouri:  Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties:  Davenport, IA

National Weather Service: snow, ice not done accumulating

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A winter storm continues to pile snow and ice on Missouri, causing the transportation department to advise against travel and some public agencies to shut down.

Heavy snowfall obscures the view of the Missouri River and the bridge across it from the State Capitol Building in Jefferson City.

Heavy snowfall obscures the view of the Missouri River and the bridge across it from the State Capitol Building in Jefferson City.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Bowman in Kansas City says it’s not done yet.

“It looks like it will taper off from about southwest to northeast … by about sunrise tomorrow stuff should be pretty much wound down,” says Bowman. “We may see some blowing of snow as the winds pick up. It won’t be precipitating. We’ll just have blowing snow across the ground. As we move into the afternoon tomorrow it looks like everything will be gone out of the state.”

The Bootheel region of Missouri has received some freezing rain and sleet mixed in with the snow. Warning Coordination Meteorologist Rick Shanklin in Paducah, Kentucky, says a quarter-inch of ice accumulation had been reported by 4:00 p.m. in the areas of Grandin and Dexter.

“We think freezing rain will continue at least into the early evening hours, especially as you approach the Mississippi River area,” says Shanklin, but he says in southeast Missouri the precipitation should be ending earlier than in the rest of the state. “We do see a pretty rapid end … by mid- to late evening.”

The area expected to receive the greatest snowfall totals is in western through central Missouri, including Kansas City, Chillicothe, Columbia, Sedalia and Butler. Bowman says in those regions 8 to 10 inches of snow has been predicted.

Two more rounds of winter weather expected in the coming week

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After the winter storm that brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to much of the state today diminishes, Missourians will not have much of a break from winter precipitation.

The National Weather Service office in Springfield is predicting another winter storm Monday night into Tuesday, but the track and potential for accumulation are uncertain.

The National Weather Service office in Springfield is predicting another winter storm Monday night into Tuesday, but the track and potential for accumulation are uncertain.

Meteorologist Andy Foster with the National Weather Service in Springfield says two storms are expected to hit Missouri in the coming week.

“Looks like we’ll see a potential winter storm impacting the region beginning Monday night into Tuesday and potentially another winter storm effecting the area as we go into late week … Friday into Saturday.”

Foster says it isn’t clear what those storms will do and where.

“At this point there is so much uncertainty on exact track and strength it is hard to say as far as exact accumulations, but right now we’d say just prepare for a potential winter storm with a variety of winter-type precipitation with either of those storms.”

He says both systems show potential to have a region-wide impact.

“These both could be larger winter storms that will have a variety of winter weather that will impact a large area, so if you have travel plans next week make sure you get the latest forecast.

 For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.In northwest and western Missouri:  Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri:  St. Louis

In southwest Missouri:  Springfield

In southeast Missouri:  Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties:  Davenport, IA

For Missouri highway conditions visit the Transportation Department’s Traveler Information Map (also available as a smartphone app).

Snow and ice today to be followed by more snow and ice overnight

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Visit our homepage at Missourinet.com for updated weather stories

Roads across northern Missouri are already covered or partly covered as a winter storm has brought snow, ice and cooler temperatures to parts of the state today.

The latest weather graphic from the National Weather Service predicting snowfall totals through Saturday.

The latest weather graphic from the National Weather Service predicting snowfall totals through Saturday.

The National Weather Service says the cold front that brought that precipitation has stalled in southern Missouri. Snow is expected to continue this afternoon north of Interstate 70 with a mix of snow and some sleet farther south.

See the latest road conditions from the Missouri Department of Transportation

Meteorologist Pam Murray says the greater event will happen overnight through tomorrow morning.

“Higher snowfall amounts will remain across northern Missouri. We’re generally looking at 4 to 6 inches across that area with locally higher amounts. Generally along and south of I-70 you’ll be looking at anywhere from 2 to 4 inches.”

Murray says there could also be some ice accumulation overnight.

“We’re seeing areas of freezing rain and drizzle develop across southeast Kansas and portions of southeast Missouri and we’re expecting that to move north, looking at maybe a tenth- to a quarter-inch of ice across south and central Missouri.”

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.In northwest and western Missouri:  Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri:  St. Louis

In southwest Missouri:  Springfield

In southeast Missouri:  Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties:  Davenport, IA

Multiple rounds of winter weather could make travel difficult Friday and Saturday

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The National Weather Service is predicting several waves of winter weather will sweep Missouri in the next 36 hours, with the worst Friday night through Saturday morning.

This graphic shows the snowfall total predictions of the National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill.

This graphic shows the snowfall total predictions of the National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill.

Some light snow Friday morning could be accompanied by a light glazing of ice starting in the Ozarks and moving through the northern half of Missouri through Friday.

Around midnight Saturday morning heavy snow will begin that will leave 3-5 inches of accumulation across northern Missouri, with a swath of up to a tenth-of-an-inch of ice stretching from north of Joplin to about St. Louis.

The Weather Service says it will be a good time not to get out if you don’t have to and recommends watching for updates. Winter weather warning products are being issued for most of the state.

For information for your area, visit these NWS pages.In northwest and western Missouri:  Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri:  St. Louis

In southwest Missouri:  Springfield

In southeast Missouri:  Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties:  Davenport, IA

Minor ice accumulation possible Sunday morning

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Missourians could wake up to some icy conditions Sunday morning.

Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Bowman says north central and northeastern Missouri will see a brief period of freezing rain and light ice accumulation.

“Starting as early as midnight or so Sunday morning and persisting maybe through late morning all the way up into the Kirksville area and the St. Louis area. Probably going to be moving out mid-morning before temperatures warm up enough that it’s just going to rain.”

Bowman says as much as two-tenths of an inch of ice might accumulate in some parts of east and northeast Missouri.

He says the event will make travel that morning very difficult.

“Even just a hundredth of an inch of ice can really slicken the roads up, so if you have a tenth of an inch to fifteen hundredths of an inch, that’s going to make traction on roads pretty difficult until that warm air can move in and warm temperatures up above freezing.”

Bowman says the system could impact travel from around 6:00 in the morning through noon, Sunday.