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Tracking a band of snow...December 3, 2008

Good afternoon bloggers,

A thin band of snow is making it through the Kansas City metro area, and may briefly have some big flakes and get heavier for around 30 minutes.  The area of snow is wider and lasts longer the farther northeast you are located.  It will blow around a bit, some areas may get slick especially to the northeast.  Look below at the radar image from around noon today.  The brighter pink and purple colors are the areas with the heaviest snow.  Notice how the intensities really taper off as you move to the southwest:

 

Temperatures will drop into the 20s where the snow is falling with wind chill factors near 10 degrees.  It's COLD!  The weather pattern is getting more exciting as we move into next week.  We will be tracking Monday's potential for some snow on our newscasts tonight on NBC Action News.  I am taking the next three days off, so Jeremy, Jeff, and Brett will be tracking these weather changes for you.  And, then I am back Monday, hopefully with a chance of snow to talk about.

Have a great end to your week.  The weather pattern is on a gradual trend to real excitement!

Gary

Published Wednesday, December 03, 2008 11:08 AM by glezak

Comments

 

davidmcg said:

Gary we have snow here in McLouth, started about 20 minutes ago.  Lucky us.
December 3, 2008 11:30 AM
 

bewild79 said:

I just hope the roads are ok around 4 to go get my son from school.....
December 3, 2008 11:37 AM
 

kane1970 said:

Boy it is just bairly going to clip KC. How fast are we going to drop after it goes bye?
December 3, 2008 11:40 AM
 

RickMckc said:

Moderate snow, very windy at Barry Rd and I-29.
December 3, 2008 11:45 AM
 

bewild79 said:

this is probably a silly question, but I am still learning....in the winter, why is it with bad winter storms, you dont see the cloud formations that you see in the spring with severe storms?   (dont laugh at me  lol)
December 3, 2008 11:45 AM
 

jczellar said:

The snow is BEAUTIFUL and it's sticking in the Zona Rosa area! Yippee!
December 3, 2008 11:54 AM
 

Randy KD0FFO said:

law enforcement reported one inch in Bethany.

In Maryville, just less than a quarter of an inch.

Chillicothe, is about to get snowed on right now. I will be home later from maryville and have a total than.

----------------------

Randy,

Thanks for the reports.  It is just about over up there! 

Gary

December 3, 2008 11:54 AM
 

fanaticweathermom said:

It's snowin' and blowin' here north of Basehor.  Have a good few days off Gary (I've noticed things get exciting when Gary takes days off! :) Hehehe)!
December 3, 2008 12:06 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

Yay! Gary is off for a few days that means we should be able to get a good storm in here soon!!! lol


December 3, 2008 12:09 PM
 

RickMckc said:

I'll take a crack at Becky's question, you experts feel free to add or correct ... this is what I remember from many years ago in my U of MD synoptic meterology classes.

Clouds form when parcels/pockets/bubbles of warmer air rise through the atmosphere. A bubble will cool as it rises and then stop rising at the point where it matches the temperature of the surrouding air. If the dew point is right, it will condense and form a cloud.

In the summer, because it is so much warmer at the surface than in winter, the parcels/bubbles typically have to rise much higher to reach stability, which is why you see more cumulonimbus in summer than in winter.

Snow is much lighter here in the Northland.

December 3, 2008 12:11 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

Just some Light Snow/Flurries in Olathe :(  Come on LRC, when are you going to be helping us out?
December 3, 2008 12:14 PM
 

boootz said:

Snow started at 11:20 in Leavenworth, extremely heavy wet snow, wind blowing like crazy, showing 31 degrees outside. at 11:55, the snow was over....
December 3, 2008 12:15 PM
 

mattmaisch said:

bewild79...

The cloud formations you see in the summer are caused by more lift in the atmosphere.  The warmer it is, the more water the atmosphere can hold, and there is also a far greater contrast between the temps at the surface and the temperatures aloft.  The big vertical clouds you see in the summer are cumulonimbus clouds.  These are the clouds that spawn thunderstorms.  Typically there is not enough of a contrast in temperatures in the winter to allow for this type of development, but you will occasionally have enough instability in a particularly strong storm to create a thunderstorm in the winter, even when it is accompanied by snow!  

If anyone has anything to add or change about my description feel free...  I believe it is fairly accurate though..

Matt
December 3, 2008 12:18 PM
 

mattmaisch said:

Sorry Rick, didn't see your post before I created my last one..

Matt
December 3, 2008 12:19 PM
 

jacob said:

Here is my new version of "where are you Christmas"...

"where are yooou wiiiiiiiinteeer...why can't I fiiiiiind yooooou?"

LOL.

--------------

Thanks Jacob,

It's SNOWING!   :)

December 3, 2008 12:24 PM
 

RickMckc said:

Matt, looks like we are on the same page ...

Also looks from radar like another squall line is about to move into the Northland.
December 3, 2008 12:34 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

IT seems to be building south again
December 3, 2008 12:42 PM
 

sedsinkc said:

The cold front's through Stephenville, Texas where I'm working.  The wind has gone north at about 30 mph, and the temp is already dropping back through the 60's from the low 70's an hour ago.  On a bad note, a significant wildfire has just erupted in the last 30 minutes on the eastern edge of Stephenville about a mile east of where my office is located.  With the strong winds and tinder dry conditions, there are some structures on the east and southeast fringes of town in jeopardy from this fire, as well as some scattered homes outside the city.  I dislike the cold, but I'd rather have snow than fire any day!!!
December 3, 2008 12:45 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

A little dusting on the roads here in Olathe
December 3, 2008 12:46 PM
 

Kristin208 said:

When will South of KC get any good snow?  It looks like we're getting left out this time, much to my disappointment :(
December 3, 2008 12:53 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

It looks like most of the snow will be North East of us this year :(
December 3, 2008 1:01 PM
 

kcwxguy said:

" Come on LRC, when are you going to be helping us out?"  

[it is - ;-)]
December 3, 2008 1:02 PM
 

jacob said:

Light snow here in Lee's Summit.  We have just a light dusting on the sides of the grass line.  It is also VERY cold and very windy.
December 3, 2008 1:12 PM
 

DPannell said:

No snow in Paola, yahoooooooo!  "no snow, no snow!!!"
December 3, 2008 1:24 PM
 

fanaticweathermom said:

Gary and team--Was there really thunder as this rolled through (anybody else hear it)?  We (my husband heard it too--not just me) heard two claps of thunder here in north of Basehor.  Pretty weird!  That was a really short little band of snow too.  I was hoping for a little bit more!
December 3, 2008 1:28 PM
 

bewild79 said:

Thank you everyone for your input!!  I appreciate it
Becky
December 3, 2008 1:29 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

"The acquisition of the Weather Channel will doubtless enhance (or replace) the NBC Weather Plus digital channels. Now is the time to use this terrific new brand to cement digital broadcast partnerships with every affiliate. Even better, use the reach and power of the stations' Web sites to burnish that hidden jewel in the Weather Channel purchase: the wealth of customer data that is weather.com."

yah, I wish this would happen


December 3, 2008 1:48 PM
 

reafamily said:

Andrew,
Why would you want the weather channel? Their forecasts are never right. Granted, they have some interesting specials on weather events, but that is the only good thing about them. If you want national forecasts, go to their website.
December 3, 2008 2:02 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

I want a national forecast, and a few weather shows! :)
December 3, 2008 2:08 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

I really want some hour long weather shows!! NBC Weather+ U. was interesting, but was really stuff I already knew.
December 3, 2008 2:14 PM
 

stjoelawyer said:

MOSTLY WHITE   .5 inches  streets were clear they still had resididual salt on them from the weekend.
December 3, 2008 2:15 PM
 

Dwxtracker said:

Andrew, where are you getting that quote? I haven't seen anything like it anywhere.
December 3, 2008 2:45 PM
 

weather export said:

Gery,

Here in overland park we just got nothing but a trace of snow. I was very disapointed that we didn't get very much and did not stick to. will the next one stick to the ground or not.

brad
December 3, 2008 3:00 PM
 

juba said:

Bore. . . . . . . . .
A cople little spots of snow snuggling up agains the grass.
December 3, 2008 3:21 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

David,

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/07/14/daily.1/

Wikipedia had a little clue saying the same thing, and then yesterday they changed it from

"The Weather Channel will replace NBC Weather Plus on the approximately 90 digital affiliates that carried NBC's service."  

to

"It is currently unknown whether The Weather Channel will replace NBC Weather Plus on the approximately 90 digital affiliates that carried NBC's service, as some of its former affiliates have switched to other programming services."
December 3, 2008 3:24 PM
 

Darkwolfe said:

A dusting in NE Independence.  If it had started up again, I would've gotten a video posted, but no luck there.  Hope for the next storm.
December 3, 2008 3:55 PM
 

lezakEF5 said:

We got a dusting here in Marceline.

Alex
December 3, 2008 4:05 PM
 

jmh1980 said:

I am really thinking maybe that longwave trough is moving further east each year.  Seems like everything is going around us.  I guess I will have to keep waiting for the snow.

Jon

****************

Jon,

We are in a more active pattern, but the part where the long term long wave that is located over the Plains probably won't be here until next week at the earliest.

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 4:07 PM
 

smmikeman said:

Hey weather team, I was just wondering something if you guys had the time. could you look up to see who has picked for the snowflake contest next week? i'm pretty sure i picked Next tues. around 4pm in the afternoon, but i'm not sure on the exact date or time... and thats if you can look it up by my blog name. if not i can email you my real name.


Thanks if you can, and if you cant no biggie. I understand you guys are busy.

smmikeman

****************

To be honest there are thousands of entries both postcard and online.  So the quick answer is no to look up individual guesses.  But if we anticipate a day upcoming with 1" of snow we may dig all the possible entrants out for that day and help those out that are wondering.  Next chance of snow is at least 3 days or more away.

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 4:11 PM
 

kb0rpj said:

0.8" in trenton.. a nice start to the winter season

*******************

Thanks Glen!

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 4:21 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

Jeremy,

Do you think NBC would nice and replace Weather Plus with the Weather Channel?  I've read so many things from a sports channel to a news channel to the weather channel. Guess we'll just have to see, unless NBC tells us soon.

*******************

Andrew,

I know you are concerned about this, but I wouldn't worry.  Chances are something much like Weather Plus will continue.  I don't know for sure since I have no say in the matter.  But I would just wait a couple of weeks and then ask again.

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 5:57 PM
 

Greg said:

Flurries today in Olathe.

**********************

Thanks.  I had a tiny area of white where the wind pushed together a pocket of flurries on my driveway.

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 6:19 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

ok, Jeremy! I just hope to keep the Local stuff the same (with you guys and not dorky maps with music), and maybe a few hour long weather shows. :)
December 3, 2008 6:33 PM
 

KC_Hams said:

Andrew,

It's been my experience that the Weather Channel is not very accurate. I stopped paying any attention to them last year because they were usually wrong (sometimes by wide margins) when I followed their forecasts. What's your opinion of their accuracy?
December 3, 2008 6:37 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

KC Hams,

I can only see them when I'm down at my grandparent house because I don't have cable, but usually that was the only channel I would leave on. I love their weather shows, and their weather news (PM Edition? I think it's called). As far as their forecasts go, I don't know. I know they are not that accurate because they don't use the LRC! :) :D

--------------------------

Andrew,

Good news!  And we will talk more about it in the next few weeks.  We are local, local, local!  Our Weather Plus channel will continue.  We will decide what content to put on there in a wheel that will run every 15 or 30 minutes.  There will be no more National Feed.  No Weather Channel.  Just our accurate forecast from NBC Action News!!!!!

Gary

December 3, 2008 6:47 PM
 

marlina10 said:

We had heavy flurries in Mission today. To say that wind was bitter would be an understatement. Hopefully the next time it snows it will be a little more exciting!

****************

I have a pretty good feeling that there will be enough excitement for most in the next 3 weeks.

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 7:58 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

Can't wait Gary! Will we get to see it before the end of the year?
December 3, 2008 8:37 PM
 

Winterfan said:

Decmber 12-13 storm should be interesting
December 3, 2008 8:51 PM
 

bellgolfMU12 said:

i am liking the december 8-9 storm is this the december 12-13 storm that is now in discussion. i have not seen the 0z data

*****************

00Z GFS looks interesting for Monday/Tuesday, then very cold.  I sure don't see any days in the 50s like we had yesterday, but I wish there would be:)

Jeremy

December 3, 2008 10:12 PM
 

Andrew_Stafford said:

Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! SNOW!

OK, done with my rant!
December 3, 2008 10:45 PM
 

lezakEF5 said:

I wish that rain in the bootheel would of been a band if snow up here! =]

I wonder what that would amount to??

Alex
December 3, 2008 10:48 PM
 

JFTtown said:

All this "excitement" is giving me Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Wake me up in June.  
December 3, 2008 10:51 PM
 

KansasPatriot said:

going to be too warm on the 8th
December 3, 2008 11:23 PM
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