10/22/08 FCST: KS/NE/CO

[Michael O'Keeffe]

Looks as though a powerful upper level low is sitting in the Central Plains causing the Plain's first winter storm of season to occur. Blizzard warnings are in effect over much of NW Kansas and far SW Nebraska, as well as Winter Storm warnings over W Nebraska. 6-12 inches of snow looks possible especially in SW Nebraska from McCook to North Platte. 40-45MPH winds will lead to considerable blowing snow and white out conditions from I-70 to I-80. Hopefully the snow continues across the Plains to keep the ground saturated for next spring.

 

[Chip Redmond]

I am very surprised more people haven't been talking about this storm. It is going to bring the first taste, or really more of a blast of winter to much of the US.
It appears that for the next twenty-four hours that system is only going to strengthen as it gains access to gulf moisture.
When is the earliest noted blizzard for that area?

There has also been alot of flooding due to this system too.


Chip

 

[Chris Hayes]

I just went to weather.gov and was amazed to see a blizzard warning for NW KS. Thats the earliest I've ever seen a blizzard warning, let alone that far south, and low in elevation

 

[Leah Robertson]

^ Agreed. I don't ever recall blizzard warnings for NW Kansas this early in the season. I'm curious to see the timing on when the precipitation turns over to snow and the total snowfall accumulations as well.

 

[Ryan Wichman]

Are there still crops in the fields there? I don't know the area very well, but I the fields are still full of crop here in Illinois. one can only imagine a Blizzard would not sit well with farmers with money still in the fields.

 

[Tyler Burg]

The only one I can remember would be the October 25th, 1997 E Neb. blizzard, dropped a foot of snow in omaha.

Quoted on that storm:

Weather experts called the storm a once in 200 years event

200 years? more like 11

 

[Chip Redmond]

The only one I can remember would be the October 25th, 1997 E Neb. blizzard, dropped a foot of snow in omaha.

Quoted on that storm:

Weather experts called the storm a once in 200 years event

200 years? more like 11

Haha nice.

Im curious for this system when it moves east. As of now both the NAM and GFS take this low pressure north of the lower Great Lakes. However, if it were to dive south there could also be a major winter storm for the snow belts for Northeast Ohio to upstate New York. It is already farther north than last year's (? i think it was last year) big extremely early lake effect snow event for Buffalo. This could be the first lake effect chasing opportunity for the year.


Chip

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

While far from common, it's really not unheard of to see snow this early across C NE. It may be somewhat more uncommon to have such a dynamic system, but big late October winter storm events are far from unheard of. Not sure I would go as far as to compare this one with the 97 blizzard, if only for the fact that its affecting a far different area...

Not a great complication of data as it only show events over that past 10 years.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lbf/?n=first_snowfall