Tracking below-zero wind chills and heavy snow this weekend
TONIGHT: Temperatures will quickly drop below freezing after sunset, with lows reaching the teens. Winds from the north will be strong, blowing at 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. Wind chills will fall below zero after midnight.
TOMORROW: An ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day will go into effect early Friday as dangerous cold moves into the area. Wind chills will be near or below -10 degrees early Friday morning and will stay close to -10 throughout the day. Clouds are expected, but we will stay dry as we prepare for the upcoming winter storm.
EXTENDED: Snow will start falling early Saturday morning, possibly just before sunrise in western Missouri, but we may initially encounter some dry air. Widespread snow will fill in throughout the day, with wind chills remaining in the negative teens. A short break in snowfall is possible late Saturday, but another round of widespread snow will quickly follow into Sunday morning. Snow finally ends near or just after noon Sunday, with totals continuing to increase across the area. Anywhere along and south of I-70 could see 8 to 12 inches of snow, with the highest amounts likely near the Lake of the Ozarks and I-44. We expect 6 to 8 inches from I-70 north to Moberly, Brunswick, and Paris. Totals have increased to 4 to 6 inches in northern Missouri for Macon and Paris. Wind chills will stay below zero on Sunday with the snowpack, and Monday morning may be the coldest of all as high pressure moves over the region, with wind chills possibly dropping below -20 degrees. Some changes to snow totals are still possible, so stay updated on the forecast.
