Watch NBC Action News HD at 5 & 10 p.m. for the latest on the potential for snow on Monday.
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An area of light snow and flurries is tracking east-northeast that should move through the viewing area in the next few hours. It is currently near and north of I-70. Areas on the north side of the metro could should see some light snow, and flurries were falling at our station at 9pm. Accumulations will be trace amounts to maybe a dusting. Farther north, closer to highway 36 some areas could see a half inch of snow or so of snow, with maybe 1" right near the Iowa border.
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Good Sunday bloggers! Clouds and chilly temperatures have made for a very dreary winter day across the region. I've seen a handful of snowflakes from late morning into the afternoon, and I wouldn't be surprised if a few more flurries or light snow fall to close out Sunday.
Now onto Monday and Tuesday. This forecast, like most that involve snow, is not easy. So let's dive in. Monday should start dry across the region and that means the morning commute should not be a problem. Light snow should spread from west to east during the afternoon. The timing for Kansas City may be in the 2-4pm(ish) range. I don't think there is a great deal of snow accumulation for the trip home from work or school, but there may be some slippery spots at that point. Most of our accumulating light snow should fall Monday evening and into early Tuesday.
The snow forecast is complex just looking at the models at face value. Here is the split decision between the 18Z NAM & GFS. First the NAM. This is a total precipitation forecast through noon on Tuesday. This would produce maybe 1" of snow in Kansas City, a little higher total to the southeast.
The GFS is more bullish on the snow totals. This run would give Kansas City about 3-5" of snow. Notice it gives everyone more snow compared to the NAM. I put a little red square where Kansas City is located for reference.
Now onto our forecast...right now we are going 1-3" of total snow accumulation for the viewing area. It's a broad range at the moment and hopefully either tonight at 10 p.m. or first thing Monday between 5-7 a.m. on the blog and during our newscast we will get more specific. It is very possible that some spots see under 1", and also very possible that some locations have over 3". So 1-3" is our forecast right now. A lot will hinge on the possibility of a secondary band of snow moving through the region Tuesday morning. This would enhance the totals and lead to a better chance of the high end 3" occurring. If this band does not form, then totals closer to 1"(or maybe less) could happen. At this moment I'm not overly excited about this, but for snow lovers we have to take what we can get :)
***This is awesome*** I found some amazing snow video out of the United Arab Emirates. This is a desert country that has only seen snow one time in its recorded history, and that was back in 2004, and it didn't amount to much. Most people in that part of the world have never seen snow, and those that did said there isn't even a word in their language for snow! Below is the article regarding Sunday's snow, followed by the video link. This is from the Arabian Business website.
Al Jees mountain, 5,700 feet above sea level and 15 miles northeast of Ras Al Khaimah city, was covered in eight inches of snow, the state news agency WAM said.
"Although limited snowfall was recorded on the mountain some years back, for the first time the peak of the mountain was fully covered in snow," it said.
Local authorities said temperatures plunged to 26.6 Fahrenheit on Friday and again to below zero(Celcius) on Saturday, The National newspaper reported.
Major Said al-Yamahi of Ras al-Khaimah police told the newspaper that an area of almost two square miles was covered in snow.
The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai also had heavy rains on Friday and Saturday, in a spell of rare chilly weather in a desert state where summer temperatures can reach 122 Fahrenheit.
Here is the video link! I'm guessing these guys never thought they would be making a snowman in their lifetime!
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/544650-uae-mountain-covered-in-rare-snow
Kind of sad when parts of UAE have a higher seasonal snow total than Kansas City! We should up our total in the next 48 hours, and hopefully for those that love snow you will see enough to enjoy!
Thank you for stopping by the blog, and make sure to check back often over the next 36 hours for more updates. Once the snow begins on Monday, please keep us updated on your snow totals!
Jeremy