NWS says 'unusual' winter storm to layer Southeast Missouri

National Weather Service officials expressed high confidence Thursday afternoon, Jan. 9, in their assessment of a winter storm approaching Southeast Missouri.

In a teleconference with media members, forecaster Justin Gibbs of the NWS office in Paducah, Kentucky, said computer models and weather observations combined to present a uniform prediction of the storm’s intensity.

“Four or more inches of snow is very likely” throughout Southeast Missouri, he said. “We have higher confidence than normal that this is going to be a substantial storm for everybody across the area.”

Much of Southeast Missouri is under a winter storm warning. NWS predictions for Missouri call for 4 to 5 inches of snow in the Farmington area, with 4 to 6 inches possible in a line from Cape Girardeau southward to Poplar Bluff, where the expected snowfall is 5 to 7 inches. Gibbs said there is a 90% chance of 4 inches of snow from Cape Girardeau southward and a 10% chance of 7 inches or more.

“This is a pretty major and unusual snowstorm for this neck of the woods,” he said.

Officials expect snowfall to begin in Southeast Missouri overnight, from about 10 p.m. Thursday to 3 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10. The most accumulation will occur between 6 a.m. and noon Friday in Southeast Missouri, Gibbs explained, adding that forecasters do not expect heavy snow over a brief period, but rather steady snow over a number of hours.

Though some areas in Southeast Missouri are still dealing with icing issues from last weekend’s winter storm, this next round of wintry precipitation will be dryer than usual for the region and should not produce widespread power outages. “But there is some concern about wet snow adding weight to power lines and trees,” Gibbs noted.

He added that temperatures will not rise much above freezing for several days, which will lead to only gradual melting. He said melting that occurs during daytimes will refreeze at night, leading to travel difficulties.

“A winter weather advisory is inconvenient. A winter storm is a big deal,” he said. “We advise against any unnecessary travel.”

Gibbs said NWS officials will host a Facebook Livestream at 8 p.m. Thursday with the latest forecast.

For more information about the approaching storm, visit NWS for forecast information and road conditions or Missouri Department of Transportation or through the MoDOT app for road conditions.