Taney County work week 1 in 2018!

MONDAY – January 1

Welcome to a New Year and Ice Station Zebra! The center of the surface high that has been responsible for the arctic chill down will move deeper into the area Monday and Monday night. Therefore similar conditions are expected to what you all have become used to the last couple of days. Winds will thankfully become lighter, but with temps below zero it only takes a 3-5mph wind to send wind chills back to -10 or below.

TUESDAY – January 2

The Wind Chill Advisory runs through midday Tuesday. Several records for low temps are in jeopardy on this date. Other than that, it will be a pleasure for many who will be returning to work. Assuming it's an indoor job, that is!

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

Surface high moves south of the area Wednesday and winds will switch around to the southwest. (About time)! Temps will start to rebound for a short time, however another shot of cold air comes down Wednesday night into Thursday. This insult will be more of a glancing blow, mainly affecting the eastern half of the area with the coldest temps. Here in Taney County it will only be in the teens...

FRIDAY – January 5

By Friday, the southwest half of the forecast area should see temperatures climb above freezing for highs with areas in central Missouri in the mid to upper 20's. However, the upper pattern will be in transition as the upper trough shifts eastward and ridging begins to move into the plains. Our temperatures by Saturday should reach the mid 30's northeast to mid 40's southwest.

SATURDAY

Precipitation should begin to move into the area Saturday night and continue through the remainder of the weekend as an upper level system shifts east through the area. Most of the time period looks like it would be in the form of rain, with some chances of snow thrown in with the colder nighttime temperatures.

SUNDAY

Models show light precipitation developing over southeast Kansas into southwestern Missouri by sunrise Sunday. One aspect is for certain, the ground is cold and frozen with several inches of frost depth. The question then remains how the air temperatures will respond and how quickly does the area warm up above freezing Sunday morning into the afternoon as warm air advection moves in. The freezing line will slowly retread from west to east during the day Sunday. A light wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet, and light snow will progress across the area especially along and east

of Highway 65 Sunday morning. As temperatures warm up above freezing, it will turn over to a cold rain. A light glaze of ice along with a coating of light sleet and light snow look increasing likely for areas along and east of Highway 65. The greatest potential for minor accumulations will be over the eastern Ozarks where temperatures stay coldest the longest. Some travel impacts look likely over the eastern areas.

Most of the area changes over to cold rain late Sunday afternoon. As temperatures drop back down Sunday night, some of the rain could change back over to a light wintry mix again before ending from west to east. Overall a general half an inch to three quarters of an inch of rainfall may be possible with this system.

A milder and drier weather pattern returns for early next week with above average temperatures. High temperatures in the 50s will return by the middle of next week. There will be another storm system to affect the area by Thursday with rainfall. Colder air will return on the back side of that system and change the rain to snow later in the week.