As of 6 AM, the latest winter storm was centered over northwest Missouri. Ahead of its cold front, it was 50 degrees F here in Columbia, with gusty southwest winds. Behind the front, a blizzard was underway, stretching from Kansas City to southern Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, the counterclockwise winds of this potent winter storm were dragging Gulf moisture into the Southeast, igniting tornadic thunderstorms in southern Mississippi and Alabama. A wedge of dry air, injected by the jet stream, pushed up the Mississippi Valley, separating the warm sector, with its heavy rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, from the steady snow, cold air and brutal winds across the upper Midwest.
By 8 AM, the cold front crossed Columbia, the temperature dropped into the 30s and windblown snow filled the air. Since the ground is warm, accumulation will be limited but steadily falling temperatures will likely produce icy roads by early afternoon. As the storm moves to the northeast, our skies will gradually clear and an overnight low of 21 degrees F is expected. In concert, the severe thunderstorms will push into Georgia and the Carolinas and blizzard conditions will track from the Great Lakes region into New England.
