The F-word is back in the forecast
Until today, it appeared our next weathermaker Friday and Saturday would be a non-event, dropping mostly liquid rain as temperatures edged just above freezing.
The forecast, however, has changed for the worse. It now appears that the temperature will be just cold enough to deliver freezing rain and/or snow Friday afternoon and overnight. It's going to be very close, but the National Weather Service has now pulled the trigger on a Winter Weather Advisory for Cape Girardeau County and areas to the north.
Their Hazardous Weather Outlook states:
A WINTER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR AREAS GENERALLY NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM POPLAR BLUFF TO CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI TO MOUNT VERNON TO ROCKPORT INDIANA. TRAVEL IN THESE AREAS MAY BECOME VERY DANGEROUS DURING THIS PERIOD. SEE THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR MORE DETAILS.
Here's the gory details of the advisory:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM FRIDAY TO NOON CST SATURDAY.
* TIMING: PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AS SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN FRIDAY MORNING GENERALLY WEST OF A GREENVILLE TO POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI LINE. FRIDAY AFTERNOON THE FREEZING RAIN/SLEET IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA. FRIDAY NIGHT PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE OVER TO SNOW MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-64 CORRIDOR WITH FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE ADVISORY AREA. SATURDAY MORNING SNOW MAY LINGER OVER SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA BEFORE ENDING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-64 CORRIDOR SHOULD TOP OUT IN THE 2 TO 4 INCH RANGE WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE ADVISORY AREA OF ONE TENTH INCH OR LESS.
* MAIN IMPACT: THE ACCUMULATION OF ICE AND SNOW WILL LIKELY MAKE TRAVELLING DANGEROUS ACROSS THE ADVISORY AREA FRIDAY...FRIDAY NIGHT...AND SATURDAY MORNING.
While freezing rain is the biggest threat for our immediate area, snow is also a possibility. Computer model projections show that we have a 30-40% chance of receiving at least 2 inches of snow accumulation.
It's still possible that this could be a non-event if temperatures rise slightly higher than expected. This afternoon's discussion from the NWS in Paducah acknowledges that the forecast could be a bust: "THE FACT THAT WE KEEP A SOUTH SURFACE WIND THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE EVENT CONTINUES TO BE A LITTLE DISTURBING, SINCE USUALLY THIS HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION, BUT SOUNDINGS WOULD INDICATE OTHERWISE."
On the other hand, our last big storm turned out colder and stronger than expected, so anything can happen.
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