Winter weather system brewing, expected to arrive in area Saturday

Meteorologists looking toward the weekend see a wintry mix brewing but as of Thursday, it was unclear what form the potential precipitation may take.

"Right now, we're looking at things to start in the Cape Girardeau area with a rain-and-snow mix Saturday," said meteorologist Ashley Ravencraft of the National Weather Service Forecast Office Paducah, Kentucky.

Snow is expected to begin around 2 p.m. and continue overnight, through Sunday and may continue into Monday morning, Ravencraft said.

"But there's still a lot of variability in the forecast, so our confidence in any set amount at this point is pretty low," she said.

The forming weather pattern is less foreseeable, Ravencraft explained, because the moisture content and pressure of the system are likely to shift. "It's really hard to resolve those this far in advance," she said. "It could hit further south or even go north in the next couple of days. It will probably change, but right now, the current thinking is that Cape is at the extreme northern edge of where the heavier stuff is supposed to go."

The latest forecast shows a band of snow accumulation stretching from Poplar Bluff across the Cape Girardeau area and over into Kentucky. Above that snowy band, light snow is possible, and below it the forecast calls for sleet and light icing.

"Really what we've been telling people is to be prepared and stay safe," Ravenscraft said. "Stock up on batteries ... If there's freezing rain or snow, the commute Saturday night could be pretty dicey. Don't be out if you don't have to be."

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573)388-3627