Pleasant Saturday, with winter conditions returning Sunday
TONIGHT: Clouds break up a bit through the night providing for partly cloudy skies as temperatures dip back into the upper 30s. Winds will shift out of the southwest through the night up to 11 mph, this will make it feel more like freezing for the first part of the day on Saturday.
SATURDAY: Despite the chilly start to the day, Saturday is shaping up to be another fantastic afternoon. With mostly sunny skies, we’ll see highs top out in the upper 50s and lower 60s into the afternoon hours. Passing clouds through the day may keep some spots slightly cooler, but overall Saturday will be another picture perfect day with winds out of the southwest up to 11 mph.
EXTENDED: The nice and tranquil weather Saturday quickly comes to an end Sunday, as a potent storm system begins to take shape. The storm system which is set to impact the Pacific Northwest and mountainous area Saturday, will quickly track into our area Sunday. As it does, we’ll see the associated low deepen over our area and bring the potential for blizzard conditions to parts of the area. There is currently a winter storm watch that will go into effect Sunday at 6 AM for Chariton and Macon counties. With the increasing likelihood that this will cause impacts across the region, Sunday will be a Weather Aware Day. Initially Sunday will start off with a cold rain and highs in the 40s, but as the low deepens cooler conditions will filter in from the northwest. This will occur during the afternoon hours Sunday, which is when the changeover to snow will begin to occur. Right now it looks more likely to see snow in areas north of I-70 but this could change depending on where the storm system ends up. Impacts look minimal for areas south of I-70, but if you are traveling north into the weekend, you may want to leave earlier. The greatest impacts will be felt along and north of Hwy 24. Snowfall amounts could be up to 3+” in our northern counties. Along the I-70 corridor 1-2″ can be expected. The track of this system will cause fluctuations in these snowfall totals. What we will be watching for is windy conditions Sunday, with winds gusting up to 35 mph. This will allow for reduced visibility with actively falling snowfall. High winds will create some travel impacts, especially on highways and interstates. If you have travel plans for Sunday into Monday, keep an eye on the forecast. The start of next week looks cold with highs only in the 30s and nights in the lower 20s as the winter weather pattern returns. Watch ABC 17 News for the latest forecast and check back here for updates.
