The Snow Starts Tonight

I'm sure everyone is aware of the storm fast approaching South Dakota. We are beginning to get a better handle on this storm and the amount of snow that we are anticipating. Unfortunately, we are not just going to see snow. It is likely that areas south of I-90 will start as a mix of freezing rain and sleet and then eventually change over to snow. Some areas of the southeast like Sioux Falls, Yankton, and Sioux Center, could end up with a few hundredths of an inch of icing that will cause very slick roadways late tonight. The picture below is an 850mb temperature map that shows why we are expecting the freezing rain to start with. You can see that many areas of the south are well above freezing aloft that will cause the snow to melt to rain before it reaches the ground. But with some cold air right at the surface, it falls as rain and then freezes when it hits the ground. The good news is we are not expecting enough to cause damage to trees or power lines as cold air will work its way into the area as the storm passes by. The picture below is for the temperatures at 850mb for noon tomorrow.

So, how much snow are we expecting? Well, this wont be a record breaking snowfall but it will provide us with quite a bit. Looks like a pretty good band of 4-8" with some spots that may reach the 10" mark. Here is what one of the models is now predicting which I agree with.Looks like Sioux Falls will again miss out on the heaviest of the snow but I would still expect 3 or 4 inches of the white stuff to fall.

On a brighter note, KDLT's Eric Hotz sent this picture to me this morning when he was driving to work. A great sunrise just outside Lennox, SD.

Enjoy the last day of mild weather!

~KDLT Meteorologist Cody Matz