Good morning bloggers,
A Major Winter Storm is tracking across the plains and upper midwest states today. Blizzard Warnings are in effect just north of Omaha, NE north to the USA/Canada border. While this major winter storm is in progress, we get to experience another dry cold front and storm system without a drop of rain or one snowflake. Kansas City is once again in the wrong spot for any rain or snow from yet another storm. There is a storm showing up for near the end of 2020, and I will open that discussion today. Let's begin with the current front blowing through.
Temperatures will fall the rest of the day reaching the 20s by 5 or 6 PM with wind chills near 10 degrees. Get that heavy coat out, if you are going shopping today. Snow is falling over parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa this morning. All KC will get from this front is a cold blast and temperatures may dip as low as 10 degrees Christmas morning.
An Accurate LRC Prediction From Weeks Ago:
Three weeks ago, in our winter forecast write up, we predicted this storm to blast into the plains around Christmas. Well, it is around Christmas and it is blasting in as expected. In that weather blog, I shared that severe weather was likely in the spring as this part of the pattern cycles through, and if there is severe weather during the winter it increases that chance of this storm being a major severe weather producer this spring. Take a look at what I wrote three weeks ago:
This part of the cycling pattern as described by the LRC already produced significant severe weather in the first LRC cycle. Here we are in the second cycle, and take a look at the Storm Prediction's Tornado Risks for today and tomorrow:
The Gulf Coast states have been the primary target all year, and it is finishing the year off with another tornado risk. Mississippi has had over 100 tornadoes in 2020, and hopefully nothing materialized later today. The risk then shifts to the mid-Atlantic states on Christmas Eve.
Kansas City will again stay dry for now, but there is something brewing for next week. KC could become a target of this Wednesday-New Year's Eve storm system:
This map above shows a surface cyclone forming in the plains. The KC metro area is under that purple color which shows a mixture, with snow in blue just north. This storm does not even exist yet, so we will get many other solutions between now and next week. Some models have had 30 inches of snow near the Nebraska/Kansas border from this storm, so it has our attention. Could KC be left high and dry again? It certainly is in the wheel house of this years LRC.
Kansas City Weather Time-Line:
- Today: Windy and cold with temperatures dropping into the 20s by sunset. Wind chills will drop to around 10 degrees this evening. It will stay dry with a periods of clouds. Northwest winds 20-40 mph and gusty. The wind will die down a bit this evening.
- Tonight: Clearing and cold. Wind chills in the single digits to near zero.
- Christmas Eve: Mostly sunny, cold & breezy. High: 27°
- Christmas Day: Mostly sunny and warmer, after a very cold start. Low: 10° High: 41°
Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day reading the Action Weather Blog. Have a great Wednesday!
Gary
