WINTER STORM NOW 12/01/07-12/02/07: KS, MO, IA, NE, SD, MN, MI, WI, IL, IN, OH, NY, PA

[Jeff Miller]

Winter storm initiation is underway as radar is showing moderate precipitation rapidly developing in the Plains as we switch from models to actual realtime analysis of this winter storm event.

Moderate freezing rain was rapidly developing over central Kansas and South central Nebraska early this morning mainly NE of a Dodge City to Goodland, KS line. Intensification of precipitation appears to be rapid with large scale moisture advection.

This thread is for current radar and surface observations and discussion as-it-happens through the life of this winter storm event.

 

[Jeff Miller]

Update for:
KSUX

2:54 AM, Midlevel saturation overspread Sioux City according to Radar
3:11 AM, First flakes of snow began to fall, no mixture
3:40 AM, Light snow began falling steadily.

Temperature here has actually dropped a degree and winds have picked up substantially since precipitation onset at least here locally. Snow is powdery and is blowing on the roads and sidewalks.

 

[Mike Umscheid]

A light glaze on some exposed surface here at Dodge City with 30F...holding tough... probably at or below 32F until about 13 or 14z perhaps. Then by 20z, 50-60mph wind gusts from the southwest!

 

[afischer]

Window for freezing rain has already closed for KC metro. Got a very thin layer of ice on vehicles in the parking lot here in north KC. Parking lot itself is more wet than slick, not much accumulation there. Blessedly, it looks like intense moisture advection helped offset the wetbulbing, with sfc temps only dropping ~2F across much of northeast KS and northwest MO at the onset of precipitation.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Some web cameras to watch this event unfold:

Lincoln, NE traffic cameras (ice blocking may of the lenses now):
http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/pworks/pwcam/index.htm

Omaha towercams:
http://gray.ftp.clickability.com/wowtwebftp/index.html

Des Moines traffic cameras:
http://www.511ia.org/DM_Metro_tripGuide.asp

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Not all that bad here in Lincoln, stepping out the front door is a bit treacherous but at this time I'd estimate only half of what is falling is freezing, sidewalks are slick in some spots and just sort of slushy in others, roads appear to be primarily just wet. Warm surface air is already working North Beatrice is reporting 32 already, still appears just to the North of the Omaha Metro will get the worst, the Wayne NE to Storm Lake IA area should be or will be shortly experiencing rain and their surface temps remain in the lower 20, 19 at Sioux City cold surface air should hold tough there a little longer.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Damn, I went to sleep a little after 1 with nothing going on anywhere. Wake up 5:45 and dang does it look like a mess outside. Will have to get some pictures before the power goes out. Trees look to be sagging some already. I wonder who, if anyone, that gets freezing rain will manage to not get above freezing. Warming looks like it's on schedule more than I figured it would be already.

I80 Omaha to Lincoln closed....impassable.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

I80 Omaha to Lincoln closed....impassable.

Not sure if that isn't just more of a precautionary move, as based on treated road conditions here in Lincoln I can't imagine its really all that bad if they treated it.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Not sure if that isn't just more of a precautionary move, as based on treated road conditions here in Lincoln I can't imagine its really all that bad if they treated it.

They were reporting several jackknifed semis on it. Wouldn't take many of those, lol. Man, whoever near here that doesn't break 32 today is hosed. Wonder if the Storm Lake IA area will or not. 22 there still.

http://www2.dor.state.ne.us/Webcams/Default.aspx Some good web cams on there. Blair's looks like it's going to be blocked before long, lol. Click on Gretna then the west of bridge one.

 

[Craig Maire II]

Our forecasted high temp today is for 30F! Snow is falling in portions of western and central Iowa and light snow is invading my area but as of yet is not reaching the ground. A cold front will impact my area tomorrow dropping the temps into the lower 20Fs tomorrow afternoon and lows will be in the single digits to lower teens Sunday and Monday night which will only make this more of a nasty situation due to the probability of many persons here not having heat because of widespread and extended power outages (if this storm pans out).

 

[Dan Robinson]

http://www2.dor.state.ne.us/Webcams/Default.aspx

A lot of those roads look like solid sheets. No traffic anywhere on many of those views. Lincoln's streets look pretty well covered too based on all of the cameras.

 

[Maggie Kahman]

I stayed up as long as i could, at least 2:30. I just got up maybe 10 minutes ago. I went upstairs to look and even though its dark out, i can see the trees are iced over. The grass is covered as well. Not sure how the roads are, they look slick, but could just be wet. I dont know how long the ice will last, its already 30.

 

[Brandon Sullivan]

Latest Surface Analysis shows the Low over Utah already at 996 MB!! Nothing here yet, appears to be evaporating before reaching the surface. Total saturation should occur very soon here, and get things under way, temp sitting at 27 degrees...

 

[Joel Wright]

Ahhh, the calm before the storm. Just cloudy here right now, with some virga streaking overhead. Still a few hours away from precip. The wind is very light out of the SE. Boy will that change by this afternoon!

I went to bed around midnight wondering if the models were a bit too wet too soon with this storm. But now just looking at the models I'm amazed at how much the precip just exploded all over the place out to the west.

The general consensus in my area is a quick 1-2" of snow, followed by brief sleet, and then a 3-6hr period of freezing rain. So, anywhere from 1/3"-2/3" of glaze expected, along with 40+mph wind gusts.

Man I hope we all can be lucky enough to retain our electricity!

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Looks like most locations south of Hwy 30 in E NE are very near freezing if not already creeping above; melting has began here in Lincoln. Trees and powerlines ended up with a pretty solid coating 1/4"-1/3", we're lucky surface temps weren't just a little cooler.

I-80 from Lincoln to Omaha now reopened as well. Looks pretty awesome outside, I'm guessing some will have some pretty cool pictures to show!!!