Storm moving in - rain and snow likely

Hope you had a terrific Christmas and what a day ... with 60° weather all over the place. It was a record setting day for a few areas, with other records tied or at least threatened.

Chilly weather is now here and soon, the rain will be moving in. This is a VERY tricky storm because temperatures are going to be right on the borderline (in western Kansas) for rain/snow. Other areas may have a few hours of some icy weather early Friday before it warms up enough to just be a rain event. Early travel Friday may not be 100% in-the-clear as temperatures continue to drop ahead of the rain.

Here's what temperatures may look like at 6 a.m. Friday:

Even IF we have below freezing temperatures early Friday, as the heavier rain sets in, it will be warming up. Far western Kansas may have several hours of wintry weather early Friday, but the afternoon should be back above freezing and road conditions should be just wet.

Friday P.M.:

Just look how widespread the rain should be once we get to the afternoon. And this is just the beginning. More rain should move through the area later Friday night and early Saturday.

Saturday: Most of the heavier rains are going to come in the morning and then push on to the northeast toward Missouri and Iowa.

Rain will switch to snow, but snow amounts probably won't be that heavy in Kansas. If you DO have travel plans into Colorado or Nebraska on Saturday, you will run into snow and slick roads. So plan accordingly. It could be mess on I-80 and I-90 up in South Dakota. Several places in western Nebraska could see close to a foot of snow by Saturday night.

How much snow? 

There will still be some changes to our map, but it is looking like northwest Kansas could see up to 3 or 4 inches of snow on Saturday, while the rest of the state shouldn't get that much. However... generous rainfall is expected for southwest, central and eastern Kansas.

Next week looks chilly, but from Sunday through New Years, the weather calms down a bit.