Winter storm update - thunderstorms too

It's not uncommon in March to have severe storms and winter storm happening simultaneously, but in JANUARY? It's a little early madness for us in Kansas, but here we go. The storm is energizing and about to push through this area.

Snowfall Forecast: This hasn't changed much since we released it Wednesday. We still expect western Kansas to see some 1 to possibly 3 inch amounts (the 3s will be much more isolated). Heavier snow for south central and eastern Kansas comes Saturday morning.

How this storm will evolve?

It begins with some strong storms in south central Kansas. Some hail will be the biggest threat with the storms that form and move to the northeast. The threat of hail won't be around very long (maybe 2 or 3 hours) and then they will weaken.

Slick roads expected across central and western Kansas: This could begin as early as 2 or 3 pm Friday. The colder air will continue to drive south and after 8 or 9 p.m., conditions in south central Kansas will begin to deteriorate.

Snow will increase in south central Kansas into Saturday morning and continue to move up the turnpike. My expectation is that the snow will end from southwest to northeast by early Saturday afternoon. And then the sun may come out later in the afternoon. So if you have to travel across eastern Kansas, Saturday (late) evening might be better than first thing in the morning.

Ice accumulation will NOT be enough to bring down power lines or tree branches, but we do expect a thin glaze to go down underneath the snow that's forecast for central and south central Kansas.

Please have a safe weekend if you are getting out on the roads.