Weather Alert Day: Roads still slick this morning
THURSDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE:
Steady snow and sleet has now moved east of Mid-Missouri, taking the measurable precipitation with it. Low clouds will have just enough moisture to produce light freezing drizzle tonight into early Friday morning, creating a glaze of ice on untreated roads. Slick spots will be possible Friday morning as temperatures dip into the mid-upper teens Friday morning before warming up in the afternoon.
BLOG:
Our Weather Alert Day continues into tonight with slippery roads and another round of sleet and snow on the way. Roads that became slick from yesterday's wintry mix will continue and more of us have added to those slippery streets.
SETUP:
Strong southwesterly upper-level flow sends ample moisture in our direction by mid-week, in conjunction with a strong low pressure system ejecting out of the Rockies Wednesday into Thursday. These two features will aid in the development of wintry precipitation, potentially in two waves affecting Mid-Missouri.
This system's setup is different from last week's storm in that we'll have plenty of cold air in place ahead of the precipitation, but similar in that we're expecting a warm nose to develop just aloft. That warmer layer of air could spell problems in the way of sleet, and there is still some uncertainty in how long the warm air sticks around. Higher amounts of sleet will cut into our storm total snowfall.
TIMELINE:
The second wave moves in by daybreak after about a 6-8 hour break overnight. This could start as sleet, but this wave will likely feature more cold air through the lower levels of the atmosphere, with most precipitation falling as snow. Snow showers are expected to continue through Thursday evening.
IMPACTS:
Sleet and snow will be the primary problems with slick roads likely. This second wave of precipitation will add to our sleet and snow total, with most of the area in the 1-2" range. The higher end of that range will likely set up north of I-70, with lower amounts farther north. Roads will likely remain slick through Friday morning as temperatures will be in the teens to start the day and only make it to the upper 20s by late afternoon.
PREPARE:
Plan to stay off the roads Wednesday evening through Friday morning if possible. Get the hour-by-hour forecast and a live look at radar by downloading the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather App. You can get that here. If you do have to head out in the elements, make sure you have an emergency kit in your car.
