Huge Conflict in the Plains

It often happens about this time of the year, a big storm in the Central Plains and a huge contrast in weather. Look at these notes:

* Near blizzard conditions over NW Kansas with blowing snow and drifting snow and winds over 40 mph. Visibility is nil. Snow accumulation 4 to 8 inches expected in places like Goodland, Kansas.

* Five tornado reports this afternoon in Kansas and Oklahoma

* The Tornado Watch for about the east half of Oklahoma goes until at least 10 pm, CDT. It is a relatively rare PDS watch which stands for “Particularly Dangerous Situation”

* Goodland, Kansas now reporting 32 degrees with visibility only 1/2 mile in heavy snow and blowing snow with north winds gusting to 45 mph. I have always considered the NW corner of Kansas as the “Blizzard Capitol of the Plains”

* At the same time it was 85 degrees at Frederick, Okla., with west winds gusting to 44 mph. The very dry air probably picking up some blowing dust. The humidity was down to 7%. Oklahoma City also reporting a warm 85.

* In the mountains of Colorado, this same storm system was dumping extremely heavy snow on Berthoud Pass with neat zero visibility and wind gusts to 50 mph. The temperature was only 14!

Category: Severe Weather, Winter Weather