Snow Update!

Well, it's a late season snow! The good news is we won't come close to the blizzard conditions experienced in Colorado and Kansas. But the Ozarks will see some accumulating snow on Saturday. Points north and west of a line from Joplin to Osage Beach may see 2" of snow by the time it wraps up late Saturday evening. Springfield will get about an inch. Areas southeast will see a dusting or none.

Travelers should be aware that the K.C. area will see about 4-8" and areas of south central Kansas will pick up 8-14"!!!

Snow potential on Saturday

WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN EXPANDED EASTWARD AND GOES INTO EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.

WINTER STORM WATCH GOES INTO EFFECT ON FRIDAY NIGHT UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING. 4-8" OF SNOW WILL LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA UNDER THE WATCH.
This computer model indicates heavy snow arriving in W. MO/NW AR on Saturday morning.
The track of the heavy snow band is further east and impacts a good chunk of the western and northwestern portion of the Ozarks on Saturday morning and afternoon than compared to the other computer model down below.

By Saturday evening, snow will gradually be lifting out....

The probability of 4 or more inches of snow is greatest in the area outlined in red between Saturday and Sunday morning. There is at least a 40% chance of 4 or more inches across southwest Missouri and the Osage Plains during that time frame as well.

This computer model shows a slower track and has the heaviest snow band setting up just outside of the viewing area by Saturday evening.
This same model continues to indicate chances for snow into the overnight hours on Saturday with the heaviest falling across the northwestern half of the Ozarks.

Timing, speed of the system, track of the low, and temperatures are all critical as to how much, when and where snow might fall. At this point in time, the models continue to differ as shown above. It appears though, the consensus is that snow will fall especially across western Missouri at some point on Saturday. There is still a lot of uncertainty and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to leave a comment.

Heavy Rain Potential

The image is the Hydrological Prediction Center's 1-3 precipitation total ending at 7 pm Saturday. One large batch of rain is due in Thursday evening into early Friday. More is due late Friday and early Saturday. There is still a possibility of some snow mixing in with this over the area on Saturday. There does appear to be a chance for accumulating snow in areas northwest of Springfield. Computer models are differing on this storm, watch the Weather Lab for updates!

Next Big Storm

The next big storm will see us between an outbreak of severe weather to the southeast on Friday and a band of accumulating snow late Friday and Saturday. We will see lots of rain Friday and a few storms. On Saturday, there is a possibility that showers will be mixed with or change over to wet snow!

Severe Storm Chances Today!!!

IMAGE AS OF 12:08PM ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24.

Strong to severe storms will impact the Ozarks from west to east this afternoon. Some of the storms may produce winds in excess of 60 mph, quarter size hail and brief spin ups. The other and more dangerous hazards from these storms is heavy rainfall which is leading to flash flooding. Roads are becoming impassable, especially near low water crossings. Don't attempt to cross a road that is flooded. There is a severe thunderstorm watch in effect across parts of the Ozarks along with a wind advisory until 4pm.

SEND STORM REPORTS, PICTURES & VIDEOS TO WEATHERLAB@OZARKSFIRST.COM.

Storm Update

Storms have fired in Kansas and Oklahoma. One cell produced a few tornado reports as it passed south of Wichita earlier. The area in the oval above will form a squall line which will approach areas far to the northwest of Springfield overnight tonight.

Meanwhile, a few isolated storms may fire in southwest Missouri this evening but will stay below severe limits.

Severe Storms Tonight

The Ozarks will find themselves on the edge of some severe thunderstorms late tonight. Storms will fire over central Oklahoma and Kansas, form a line, and then move northeast, impacting areas to the west and north of Springfield after midnight. All forms of severe weather are possible with these storms including the possibility of tornadoes.

Another update will be posted at 6:35 this evening. Please watch the 5 and 6 o'clock news on KOLR-10 for the latest and make sure to tune into the Weather Lab when the weather turns severe!