Let’s touch base with some selected cities that will be experiencing adverse wintry weather. This is not an all-inclusive list. At midday the cold front, which is causing a quick drop in temperature, was across Central Missouri to near Oklahoma City to west of Dallas-Ft. Worth. It was 72 degrees in Ft. Worth, while at the same time it was 20 in Dalhart in the NW part of the Texas Panhandle.
DALLAS-FT. WORTH
A Winter Storm Watch for Thursday. Much colder tonight and some thunderstorms may be severe. Temperatures falling into the mid 30s with north winds up to 25 mph. The precipitation will be a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet Thursday morning, then a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet in the afternoon. Snow and sleet accumulation up to 2 inches. Ice accumulation (from freezing rain) up to 1/4 inch. Translation: you can slip and slide all over the place with that much ice.
OKLAHOMA CITY
Winter Storm Warning for Thursday starting after midnight tonight. Light freezing rain tonight, then snow and sleet after midnight. Much colder. Snow and sleet may accumulate up to 1 inch with a low near 25. Snow continuing Thursday morning with additional snow accumulation of 4 to 5 inches. Total from the storm: 4 to 6 inches of snow. High on Thursday only 25 with north wind up to 30 mph and low Thursday night 17.
ST. LOUIS
A Winter Storm Watch Thursday until late Thursday night. Much colder on Thursday with rain changing to freezing rain later in the morning. Occasional snow and sleet in the afternoon accumulating around 1 inch. Ice accumulation from freezing rain about 1/4 inch. It will change over to all snow Thursday night with heavy accumulations possible and temperatures dropping to about 22.
CHICAGO
Snow starting Thursday preceeded by some freezing rain and sleet in the morning. Much colder, but very little accumulation. Still a chance of some snow Thursday night.
LITTLE ROCK
Lots of showers and thunderstorms, but no wintry precipitation until Thursday night, when snow and sleet will occur changing over to mostly snow after midnight. Light accumulations.
MEMPHIS
Rain or freezing rain Thursday evening, then freezing rain, snow or sleet after midnight. Ice accumulation less than 1/4 of an inch. That is still enough to cause some possible travel problems.
NASHVILLE
Temperatures falling into the mid 30s Thursday night and there may be a chance of snow Friday morning. Little or no accumulation.
HUNTSVILLE/CULLMAN/FLORENCE
Lots of thunderstorms late Thursday and Thursday night. Some may be severe, but at this time no wintry precipitation anticipated.
PLEASE NOTE: This discussion is mainly about wintry precipitation. A number of the cities mentioned above, especially from Texas NE through Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee will have quite a few showers and thunderstorms as the front gets closer.
Coldest temperatures in the lower 48 this morning included 26 below zero at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park (West Yellowstone, Montana) and 25 below at Rogers Pass, Montana. Rogers Pass holds the record for the coldest ever recorded in the lower 48 states, which was 70 below zero back in the 1950s.
Late this morning, a big contrast across Missouri. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Boone County where the University of Missouri is located. Ironically, they already had a Winter Storm Warning in effect. It was 70 degrees in Jefferson City (the Missouri capitol) while just 60 miles to the west it was 42 with a wind chill of 28 in Sedalia, Missouri.
