***** Update 5:30 p.m. 2-18 *****
Periods of moderate to heavy snow will continue to affect southeast Kansas and the four-state area through 7 p.m. tonight. Snow could come down as fast as 1 inch per hour. Hazardous travel conditions are expected along with blowing and drifting snow. Extreme cold continues with a low expected around 0 tonight and wind chills of -15 possible.
***** Update 6 a.m. 2-18 *****
Higher end snowfall estimates for the Coffeyville area are now slightly reduced, but 7 to 12 inches are still expected for the four-state area. Snow will fall between now and midnight. A winter storm warning and an extreme cold warning is in effect for the entire KGGF listening area.
***** Update 7:30 p.m. 2-17 *****
Expected snowfall amounts continue to increase, with now 9 to 14 inches of snow possible for the Coffeyville area. The area with the worst storm impact has shifted south and is now largely centered around the tri-state area of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Heavy snow is still expected to start across the four-state area by 6 a.m. Tuesday morning with near blizzard conditions possible. Extreme cold temperatures will also be in place starting tomorrow night for much of the area, with a low around 0 degrees expected tomorrow night.
***** Update 6 a.m. 2-17 *****
The entire four-state area will be under a winter storm warning starting tomorrow morning and continuing through Wednesday.
The Coffeyville area now has a 95% chance of at least 4 inches of snow, and now a 60% chance of 8 or more inches. Current snowfall forecasts estimate there could be between 7 and 11 inches for Montgomery County and the surrounding area.
Light snow is expected to start after midnight tomorrow in southeast Kansas, transitioning to heavy snow by 6 a.m. tomorrow. The worst part of the storm should be between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Winds are expected to gust up to 30 mph tomorrow, which will cause snow to blow and make travel even more difficult. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
An extreme cold warning will be in place for the KGGF listening area as well starting tomorrow night. Air temperatures will fall below zero and wind chills will approach 20 degrees below zero through the end of the week.
***** Update 2-16 6:30 p.m. *****
Wind gusts are now expected during the winter storm on Tuesday, adding to expected difficult travel conditions. Gusts in southeast Kansas are expected up to 30 mph which will combine with moderate to heavy snow causing drifting, blowing snow and reduced visibility. Confidence remains high of the highest accumulations being in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. The National Weather Service is encouraging all travel during the storm to be delayed if possible and to dress in layers if you must go outside.
A winter storm watch and an extreme cold warning will be in effect for the entire four-state KGGF listening area late Monday/early Tuesday morning through Tuesday night for Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and through Wednesday morning for southwest Missouri where a winter storm warning is in effect as well.
***** Update Sunday 2-16 10 a.m. *****
Snowfall chances continue to increase for the four-state area and especially for southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. The Coffeyville area now has a 90% chance of at least 4 inches of snow and a 50% chance of 8 inches or more. Further north, the Chanute and Fort Scott area could see up to a foot of snow on the high side.
***** Original Story *****
The latest from the National Weather Service indicates impactful snow will start Monday night after a more minor round of snow this weekend. Current confidence is low on where the snow will fall, but current models favor the heaviest snowfall around Chanute, Fort Scott and east of Nevada, Missouri where 6 to 11 inches of snow is possible. The Coffeyville area has about a 50% percent chance of seeing 6 inches of snow, with between 4 and 8 possible. Snowfall forecasts at this stage are considered preliminary and will continue to be refined in the coming days.
Moderate travel impacts are expected for counties along the state line in southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma in addition to southwest Missouri. Impacts should be more minor for northeast Oklahoma. A winter storm watch will be in place for Kansas and Missouri while a winter weather advisory will include all of northeast Oklahoma.
Extremely cold temperatures will impact the area starting Tuesday morning and will continue at least through Wednesday night. Air temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday night are expected to be below zero and wind chills in the Coffeyville area could push -20 Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Weather Service reminds all in the listening area to make plans now ahead of the storm like making sure supplies and medications are on hand in addition to checking on relatives, making sure animals are taken care of and ensuring that pipes don't freeze. KGGF will continue to update this story and provide information on any closings or cancelations.
