Pattern change coming - talk of Arctic air - deadly tornadoes already

Thanks for stopping by the blog and sharing a few minutes. We have one storm/cold front coming across Kansas today (Tuesday) and after that, our weather really starts to quiet down. This storm is going to produce some big snows in Nebraska and South Dakota. Along with the wind, near blizzard like conditions will show up north of I-80, so this could be a wintry mess.

It's been very active lately, but still, where's the snow?
Normal snowfall by this point in the season is as follows:

• Wichita = 8.3"
• Salina = 9.8"
• Russell = 10.9"
• Dodge City = 9.9"
• Goodland = 17.1"

Many areas don't even have half of those amounts. 

Where are we headed from here? The pattern is changing this week, so the chances for snow are basically slim-none for the remainder of the month. The kind of pattern we thought would repeat many times this winter will be with us for the next 7-9 days. We won't likely see much moisture with this kind of setup, and it could be after the first week of February before there's much chance for rain or snow.

We are certain that Arctic air will be back, but it's still a few weeks out yet. That should put it back in Kansas after the first of February. So expect us to start talking about it as we get closer to that time.

Our hearts go out to those impacted by recent severe weather events in the Southeast. It's not unusual for them to have severe storms in January. After all, the tornado season actually begins in that part of the country and then spreads back to the west and north as we get closer to spring. Already, there have been 2 tornado outbreaks this year with over 20 fatalities (already higher than last year). Let's hope it's not an indication of what's to come.  

Albany, GA - courtesy Kerri Copello

Hattiesburg, MS - courtesy Ryan Moore