As I prepare to return to Colorado, a snowstorm has paralyzed much of Missouri. Beginning as rain yesterday morning, snow developed by early afternoon and more than ten inches have accumulated here in Columbia; light to moderate snow is expected through the day and a few more inches will likely fall before the storm pushes off to the east.
After forming in New Mexico, the central low of this potent winter storm has stayed in southern latitudes, moving across the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and Arkansas; it is expected to continue that track, eventually crossing Georgia and the Carolinas before heading out to sea. Ahead of the low, southerly winds have swept Gulf of Mexico moisture into a mass of cold air (reinforced by high pressure over the Great Lakes region). Missouri will likely receive the brunt of the snow but significant accumulations are also forecast for the Ohio Valley and Virginia.
Thanks to my pickup, we will not be trapped by the storm but most roads in central and eastern Missouri remain impassable for cars and efforts to clear suburban roads will likely not begin for a day or two; power outages, due primarily to broken tree limbs, have also plagued the region. Though beautiful to behold, snowstorms remind us that, despite our modern structures and vehicles, we remain at the mercy of nature's power.
After forming in New Mexico, the central low of this potent winter storm has stayed in southern latitudes, moving across the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and Arkansas; it is expected to continue that track, eventually crossing Georgia and the Carolinas before heading out to sea. Ahead of the low, southerly winds have swept Gulf of Mexico moisture into a mass of cold air (reinforced by high pressure over the Great Lakes region). Missouri will likely receive the brunt of the snow but significant accumulations are also forecast for the Ohio Valley and Virginia.
Thanks to my pickup, we will not be trapped by the storm but most roads in central and eastern Missouri remain impassable for cars and efforts to clear suburban roads will likely not begin for a day or two; power outages, due primarily to broken tree limbs, have also plagued the region. Though beautiful to behold, snowstorms remind us that, despite our modern structures and vehicles, we remain at the mercy of nature's power.
