Richard and I spent 3 days in Osage Beach (Tan-Tar-A) at his work annual conference. While we were there and even this morning the temps were in the high 60s! However, it’s dropping fast now! We returned this afternoon to rush around and prepare for the first winter storm in 2-3 years. Here’s the warning they have issued. I’ll let you know tomorrow how close they came! Well, if I have electricity that is!
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS EVENING INTO THURSDAY MORNING ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI. GROUND TEMPERATURES REMAIN WARM… SO ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON THE GROUND WILL BE SLOWER TO OCCUR. HOWEVER ELEVATED SURFACES… SUCH AS POWER LINES… TREE BRANCHES AND BRIDGES WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS… AND EVENTUALLY THE ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR ON THE GROUND. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF INCH ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN DOWNED POWER LINES AND POWER OUTAGES.
THE FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL TURN COMPLETELY TO SNOW BY THURSDAY MORNING… WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES THOUGH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED NORTHWEST OF INTERSTATE 44. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH THE FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW TO MAKE DRIVING HAZARDOUS.
SHARPLY COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM WITH WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS THURSDAY. RESIDENTS OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND THE MISSOURI OZARKS… INCLUDING THE SPRINGFIELD AREA… ARE URGED TO TAKE THIS WEATHER SITUATION SERIOUSLY. BEGIN PREPARING FOR THIS WINTER STORM NOW. AGAIN… BEGINNING TONIGHT… ROAD CONDITIONS WILL QUICKLY DETERIORATE AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE LIKELY BY THE MORNING COMMUTE. ADDITIONALLY… SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE ON TOP OF THE ICE THROUGH TOMORROW.
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 HAZARDOUS.
