Winter Storm Warning issued; BREAD Index climbing rapidly
In yesterday's blog, I wrote that we were likely to dodge the bullet with the next storm system, which appeared likely to bring the worst snow and ice to our north and west. I mentioned, however, how things can change in a hurry, just like the 2008 ice storm.
Well, now things have indeed changed in a hurry. Winter Storm "Cupid" now looks uglier than ever. I'd like to apologize now for jinxing the forecast.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for portions of Southeast Missouri, including Cape Girardeau County. The text of the bulletin states:
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 PM CST THURSDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 PM CST THURSDAY.
* LOOK FOR SNOW AND SLEET TO BEGIN ACCUMULATING OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. THIS WINTRY MIX OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL THEN SPREAD NORTHEAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DURING THE MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY TRANSITION OVER TO FREEZING RAIN OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BY NOON OR SO. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE WILL BE POSSIBLE WHERE THE SNOW AND SLEET CHANGE OVER TO FREEZING RAIN.
* THIS WINTRY MIX WILL LIKELY LEAD TO DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ON ROADWAYS AND ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES. SOME POWER OUTAGES CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...WHERE THE MOST FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
Cape County is right at the edge of the warning, however, which suggests that the worst weather will be still happen to the north and west. On the other hand, the computer models keep trending colder with the storm, and that trend could continue. It's somewhat unusual to see a Winter Storm Warning issued without a Watch or Advisory issued first, so evidently the forecasters in Paducah are much more concerned about this storm than they were earlier.
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