A winter storm watch has been issued for areas near and south of Highway 60 in anticipation of snow and brutal cold Friday into the weekend. All the more reason to enjoy today’s 40s and sunshine, right?
Let’s blow through the next 48 hours first. Some light right can be found south of Highway 60 this morning, and at times could turn to freezing rain in the higher elevations, causing limited slick spots southeast of Springfield this morning. This activity will clear and reveal a sunny day in the 40s. Tonight will be cold in the low 20s and upper teens, and Thursday will be chilly in the mid-40s.
Now the big story, the big cold and snow. As mentioned, a winter storm watch has been issued for Friday and Saturday. Heavy snow of 4″+ is possible, especially south of the stateline into Arkansas. Snow is expected to fall mostly late Friday through Friday night and continue into most of Saturday.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There continues to be disagreement between models about where the storm will go exactly. A shift of 100 miles north or south is still possible between today and Saturday. That could be the difference between snow and no snow, especially in Springfield. The forecast will continue to be fine tuned in today and tomorrow to present a clearer picture.
The latest data this morning continues to lean towards heavier amounts south, and lower amounts north. This could mean that parts of Central Missouri are left out of the snow and get only the cold. Farther south of Highway 60, snow amounts could range from 2″ to as much as 4″ in Missouri. Northern Arkansas could be dealing with 3″ to 6″ of snow all said and done.
Bottom line, snow is likely for Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas, and everyone will get extremely cold. Temperatures on Friday will be stuck around 20° all day, with wind chills in the single digits. Saturday and Sunday will be in the teens, feeling like near 0°. Overnights will be near 0° with wind chills as harsh as 10° below zero early in the morning on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
This will be a major round of cold weather, and it may come with snow. Also, if you’re travelling this weekend, particularly to the south, follow the forecast closely. You may need to change your plans or postpone. This will be a major winter storm to the south in areas that don’t handle winter weather particularly well. This could also be a severe ice storm from parts of Texas into Mississippi and Alabama, leading to widespread power outages. Stay weather-aware, and be prepared for the coming cold…