Twin States Weather Blog

Cold Rain Coming..

* We are watching moisture continue to race in from the southwest. At the same time, an upper trough is diving eastward through the Plains, and will likely cause a surface low pressure system to form in the northern Gulf of Mexico. If things had come together a bit differently, this could have been a big winter storm for us. However, temperatures are going to be far too warm for anything but rain around here.

* While parts of the South will get a taste of wintry weather tomorrow, we expect only a cold rain here. Temperatures will be well above freezing, so it's really even a stretch to call it a "close call." Parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky will get a significant bout of winter weather out of this.

* Exactly how much rain we receive is still in question. The NAM has a fairly wet day on tap for us, while the GFS indicates only light precipitation. Our thinking is that the actual weather will fall somewhere between the two - most locations will receive between a tenth and a quarter of an inch of rain.

* Rain will end Thursday night, and Friday will feature cold temperatures and dry conditions. Exactly how cold it stays Friday will depend on the cloud cover. We are going with the idea that we should get some good clearing in here. This will allow temperatures to rise into the middle 40's. Either way, Friday promises to be a rather cold and blustery day.

* The weekend looks chilly and dry, but this pattern seems like the kind that generally offers up a few surprises. We'll have to be on our toes over the next week or so, considering the close proximity of very cold air and the active nature of the subtropical jet.

posted by WTOK Weather Staff @ 2:25 PM