First major winter storm of the season...

coppercoins · Site Admin

Current temperature outside is 65 degrees, but expecting that to change rapidly tonight as a cold front and an upper low enter the region.

Expecting between 8 and 14 inches of snow before the storm exits the area Friday morning. Some ice and sleet accumlation is expected during the changeover some time tomorrow morning, which will help with rapid snow accumulation in what is expected to be heavy snow from noon until midnight. Heavy snow here means rates of 2-3 inches per hour.

So...the question. We are expecting the roads to be really nasty by morning, but the buttheads at the local school system are always slow on the draw - they won't see it coming, but I do. We'll end up having to take the kids to school in an ice storm in the morning just to go back and pick them up in the middle of a blizzard at noon. The school system isn't all that bright when it comes to listening to the forecast and figuring out what the traffic and weather would be like in these events. Won't surprise me, they always do it this way.

Should I just keep my son at home in the morning because of the level of certainty that the storm is eminent and forecast to be a doozer?

ldarrellc · Senior Member

If it was My son I would keep Him at home. But you do know how wrong the weathermen are at times to.

coop · Expert Member

Chuck: If you do get snow, I'm looking forward to pictures. I know Snow is your favorite thing happening in Winter. Cool

Gabe · Senior Member

Yeah Chuck! This storm is going to be awesome!!

Tomorrow, Im going to Washington, DC, to stay with my cousin for 4 days. We are eventually going to get some of the storm, and temperatures are going to plungue! Man, I cant wait for temperatures to be freezing.

Hopefully, it snows like 5 feet. Im really tired of temps being in the 80s everytime and every day.

coppercoins · Site Admin

I guess my concern is weighted between whether the schools close and the fact that my son doesn't have an absence on record for this year. If I keep him out and the schools are open tomorrow, he will have his first absence.

Just wondering if it's worth letting him keep perfect attendance for the hassle of driving out in a heavy snowstorm to pick him up in the middle of the day as I see being the case tomorrow.

Whether or not the storm is coming and will have such impact is of little consequence at this point. Everything has been going exactly as forecast over the past 24 hours, and the forecast for tomorrow has not wavered in that period. It seems as thought hey have this particular storm pegged, and with the data I have seen, I tend to believe they are correct.

Dick · Expert Member

CD, there is no doubt in my mind as to what to do. Kids come first! School second! You can always "make up the days lost" NOT SO with kids! I was raised where that is a common thing, (Flagstaff, AZ, elevation, 7200'). If you don't like the weather, the kids stay HOME! The perfect record is a very nice thing, but a kid lost, is a terrible thing to contemplate! The storm you await is big, and cold. Don't risk it!
Dick

coppercoins · Site Admin

Temperature at 1600CST was 72 in Springfield.

Temperature at 1620CST was 51 in Springfield.

Temperature 30 miles west in Mount Vernon: 40.

Temperature 30 more miles west in Joplin: 28.

IT'S HERE.

Bob P · Site Admin

Chuck,
Just take care of yourself up there. The ice storms have already been harsh.

Gabe · Senior Member

Chuck- Am I reading your post correctly? I think it says that the temperature plunged 21 degrees in 30 minutes.

Wow!

coop · Expert Member

Its very cold here for the desert. I don't know the temperature here but it is cold and windy. Headed your way Chuck. So what is coming has a lot colder air coming behind that.

coppercoins · Site Admin

Gabe...yes, that's right.

And now it's 39 here at 7:20CST with heavy rain, thunder, lightning, and ice only 40 miles away. This is one of those quick-change-artist storms.

Dick · Expert Member

Coop, you said it was cold for the desert, and I agree. I am east of LA, (Los Angeles, CA), like just below Cajon Pass, and it is 46, and very windy! So much for warm, sunny Calif.! I expect to see a rough winter for parts of the country, this winter. Sorry folks!
Dick

Steven · Expert Member

Chuck,
Looks like I will be getting the cold right after you. Still 63 on my thermometer. Sure that won't last long now. Only a little way from you in eastern MO.
Steven

eagames · Expert Member

Big drop here in a few days.
It was sunny here but still didn't even get out of the 50s today.
Just a cold wind all day.
Must be a big system to change it here so fast.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1128weather1128.html

coppercoins · Site Admin

at 10:00AM, 11/30/06 it is 24 degrees and sleeting. The roads were clear this morning, but ice had covered everything elevated. I took Mikie to school because I had to go to his mother's house a block away and get his coat anyway - might as well keep his attendance record perfect.

I will probably go over there at noon and pick him up and take him home. Forecast still calls for up to 10 inches of snow here this afternoon and evening.