STRONG WINTER STORM ON TRACK FOR TONIGHT...

The new models runs are in and I don't see anything that's dramatically different. One minor change was the fact the EURO made about a 30 mile shift north on the snow band which gets the 2" line near or north of HWY 30. It should add another inch or perhaps two to the I-80 corridor as well.

Winter Storm Warnings are out for tonight and early Friday to the south if I-80. They are converted to winter weather advisories for a row of counties along and north of I-80 including places like Iowa City and the Quad Cities.. There is some chance depending on the final track these could be adjusted northward a county by the NWS.

Speaking of the NWS, I like what they have issued for a snowfall forecast and have it posted below.

Moderate to occasionally heavy precipitation will move into the southwest towards evening. The precipitation could start as rain or a rain/snow mix before quickly changing to all snow. The snow will spread to the northeast this evening but will be lighter north of I-80. No snow at all is expected near and north of HWY 20. The heaviest band is expected to set up between highway 34 and I-80 where snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour are expected. The heavy snow will reduce visibilities below a quarter mile and lead to snow covered roads and difficult travel conditions.

Here's a few of the raw snowfall forecasts off the morning model runs. Overall, there is pretty good consistency.

The EURO

The GFS

The 3k NAM

The NAM (12k)

The HRRR

The SREF mean

The Canadian GEM

Once the snow begins early to late evening, it will last into the night before ending from west to east between 7 and 11:00 am Friday. Temperatures will warm into the mid to upper 30s Friday afternoon so conditions should improve rapidly once the snow ends. Hopefully, that's the last we see of any snow until at least November of next fall. That's all for now. Roll weather...TS