Weekend storm on the way

We've made it to Wednesday and now two days into this cold snap. Have you adjusted to it yet? There are still a lot of complaints trickling in on Facebook and Twitter, but we can't do much about it. So let's see why we are having this cold weather so early in the season and what's coming this way for the weekend.

Hugh high pressure has forced cold air south

By Tuesday, the jet stream should start pulling back to the north & east

One of the biggest things to point out with this pattern is the huge high pressure system up near Alaska that is forcing a lot of the cold air to plunge south. It's what we refer to in meteorology as a "block" and when this sort of thing sets up, they can be very slow to move. So our cold weather isn't going to change much in the near future. It will shift next week and the jet stream will end up sliding east and eventually back north some, so by the middle of the week, temperatures will come back up and be a little closer to normal (which would be 50 degree weather). 

The weekend snow chance is still in the picture. Over the last few days, I've posted a snowfall forecast that showed roughly 4 inches, then yesterday it was down around 2. Looking at the most recent data that's come in, confidence is growing this could be a 2-4 inch snow event for much of central and southern Kansas. 

Timing: Snow would begin in western Kansas around daybreak Saturday and then move east into central Kansas around midday - should taper off Sunday morning

Amount: 2-4 inches looking more likely

Wind: Roughly 10-20 mph (so some blowing snow is possible, but not likely to be a major issue)

Travel impact:  Some snowpacked roads appear likely by Saturday afternoon or evening. Roads will not be impossible to maneuver.

Look for an update on the evening newscasts tonight. I'll break this down in more detail coming up tomorrow here on the blog. Winter storms can create some excitement. I don't know that I would rearrange my weekend travel plans yet unless you really dislike driving in snow. This is not likely to be a major winter storm.