More on Bitter Cold and Snow / Wintry Precipitation Prospects this Weekend...

The above temperature map, zoomed in on the central Plains, is valid at 8am CST. The scale in degrees F is located at the top left corner of the image.

Some of the coldest readings are found over Nebraska and South Dakota, with -13 degrees at Chadron, -12 at Thedford and -8 at Grand Island.  Those are actual air temperatures, folks, not the wind chill!

Temperatures are below freezing as far South as central Texas this morning, as the cold, arctic airmass settles Southward...

Meanwhile, inside the same cold airmass across the Northeast, a fast moving disturbance has resulted in the formation of a band of mostly light snow extending from near New York City on up into northeast Maine overnight and early this morning:

Generally light accumulations (a dusting to an inch or so) are forecast for the big cities from NYC through Boston, with heavier amounts from there on up along the Maine coast and into the Canadian Maritimes, where 3-6 inches are expected (and possibly heavier amounts into the Maritimes later today).

Another band of snow has set-up from northeast Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania and southwest New York, Southward into West Virginia.  Locally heavy snow is possible at times today along the NY and PA shores of Lake Erie, with 2-4 inches of accumulation likely further South in the higher elevations of West Virginia.

Meanwhile, out West, a vigorous upper-level weather system is diving Southward along the California Coast this morning, with energy spreading out ahead of the system across the Great Basin region:

This system will spread heavy mountain snows into the central Rockies on Sunday, with widespread amounts of 6-12 inches in the higher elevations of southwest Colorado.

Another band of snow is forecast to set-up Sunday afternoon and early evening across the Texas panhandle and possibly east-central New Mexico.  The latest run of the experimental SREF computer forecast model is calling for a band of 1-3 inch snowfall from near Canadian to West of Lubbock:

This same disturbance will press East by Sunday night and Monday morning, with a swath of mostly light snow and/or sleet forecast to extend from the Missouri River Valley along the Nebraska/Iowa border, Southward into eastern Oklahoma, western Missouri and northwest Arkansas.  The forecast image below is valid 9am CST on Monday:

As you can see, mostly 1-2 inch snowfall is indicated across this region (scale in inches at the left side of the image).  Locally heavier accumulations may set-up near the border with northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas by mid to late morning Monday.

The precipitation may begin to mix with light freezing rain or freezing drizzle during the day on Monday, particularly across southeast Oklahoma and into western and central Arkansas.  We'll need to keep an eye on this in later updates...

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