Winter is ready to take another crack at Mid-Missouri

(KMIZ) — The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team issued a Weather Alert Day for this weekend, as another winter storm set its sights on Mid-Missouri. Now is the time to make sure you have a winter weather preparedness plan in place, as icy conditions, drifting snow, and bitter cold will accompany the winter storm.

Light rain and snow will move in from the west by late afternoon Friday and increase through the evening with the rain- snow line near HWY 24, gradually shifting south Friday night. Some sleet could be mixed in before transitioning to snow.

– Along and north of HWY 36 should see all snow (brief period of sleet possible) through the duration of the event with snow beginning as early as 3 PM Friday and tapering off by 3 PM Saturday.

– Interstate 70 to just south of Hwy 36 will see a cold rain by 6 PM Friday, with the changeover to snow near HWY 24 by 10 PM Friday and near I-70 after midnight.

– South of Interstate 70 will be the last to see a changeover. Initially, rain will occur with a slow transition to snow. All rain will be likely Friday night with the changeover to snow occurring  from 3-6 AM Saturday.

THREATS:

– Slick Roads: Roads will once again be a problem across Mid-Missouri, as snow and rain will lead to slick spots across the region. While many roads have been treated and plows have been at work for several days now, any glaze of ice or snow-covered roads will lead to the development of slick spots.

– Blowing Snow: A big difference between this winter storm and last weeks is the type of snow. Due to the lower moisture content, the snow that will fall will be drier snow. This will lead to fluffier snowflakes and with gusty winds through the day Saturday, blowing snow will be of concern. Additionally, this blowing snow could lead to snow drifts on east-west roads and reduced visibility.

Windy Conditions: Winds Friday night into Saturday will be quite windy at times, as gusts could be recorded up to 35 mph as we head through the day. This will not only lead to blowing snow but could lead to some power outages. While power outages aren’t a great concern, the windy conditions could put more strain on the snow-laden trees and lead to limbs breaking. This could potentially disrupt power outages for parts of Mid-Missouri this weekend.

– Bitter Cold: Temperatures will quickly fall into the 20s Saturday, as strong northwesterly winds bring the return to colder air. The coldest air holds off Saturday night into Sunday where temperatures will easily fall into the single digits north of I-70 and to near 10 south. This will be some of the coldest air that we’ve seen in over a year, with wind chills will drop to 5 below zero , possibly as low at 10 below zero north of I-70.

ACCUMULATION:

With overnight rain on Friday, we’ve dropped totals for portions of Mid-Missouri south of I-70… but the idea for this storm system has never been heavy-hitting accumulations like last weekend. It will be the strong winds and bitter cold that will set up for a much icier scenario headed into Saturday Afternoon. Expect low visibilities during the day Saturday, and many roads with significant refreezing through Sunday morning.