First snowfall of the year set to arrive into the evening
THURSDAY: It’s a cloudy and cold afternoon across Mid-Missouri, as highs will struggle to climb into the lower 40s. It’ll feel even colder thanks to a wind chill remaining in the low to mid 30s through most of the day, as winds will be shift out of the northeast up to 10 mph. While the first part of the day will be dry, moisture streaming in from the west will set the stage for the first snowfall of the season. Initially any precipitation will be rain and will have to overcome drier air aloft. It’s looking possible sprinkles to light rain will be possible into the later afternoon hours, before a rain/snow mix takes over as the air saturates. Right now the best timing for the mix looks to occur between the hours of 4-7 PM for most of Mid-Missouri with a transition to snow as we head into the night. Any accumulating snow that we do see will be well after the evening commute, so no road impacts are expected for the drive home this evening.
TONIGHT: Temperatures quickly fall tonight to near freezing by 10 PM, as light snow showers continue to track through the region. Areas along and north of Hwy 50 could see a brief burst of snow, but most of the activity will remain on the light side. Snow will gradually track to the east through the night and come to an end by 3-4 AM. Any show that accumulates will only be on elevated surfaces and grassy areas. Right now the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team is forecasting a dusting to half an inch south of Hwy 50, with areas along and north of Hwy 50 seeing anywhere from half an inch to near an inch. It is possible we could see some localized areas seeing up to 2 inches of snow, where the quick bursts of snow does occur. However, most locations will remain on the lower side of snowfall totals. Overnight lows will bottom out in the upper 20s, with winds out of the north up to 10 mph.
EXTENDED: Temperatures start off in the upper 20s Friday morning, only reaching into the upper 30s in the afternoon as another fast moving wave of low pressure aloft moves through. This will bring a chance of flurries or brief light snow Friday afternoon but no accumulation is expected from this. A hard freeze is expected Friday night as we dip into the upper teens by Saturday morning which could break the record low of 18 from 1926. Right now the weekend looks dry but cold as we remain in the upper 30s for highs Saturday, warming into the mid 40s Sunday. We are keeping an eye on the potential for snow Sunday night into Monday but until there is more agreement on forecast models, confidence is low. Another surge of cold air moves in Monday, dropping our high temperatures back into the upper 30s Tuesday. Watch ABC 17 News for the latest on our changing weather and check back here for updates.
