[Updated] Blizzard, Heavy Snow Followed By Extreme Cold

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I cannot overemphasize how important it is to plan around the weather occurrences of next week. The change in weather pattern will usher in a blizzard in the Great Plains and then an invasion of extreme cold -- far colder than anything we have experienced so far this year. 

So, I recommend to my readers they go to the grocery store, the drug store, purchase ice melt (although it does not work well in extreme cold) and run any errands before this weather begins. Everyone east of the Colorado/Kansas line should be fine tomorrow. 

If your furnace is questionable, get is fixed asap.

Please make sure friends and family are away of this major weather threat.

National Weather Service Warnings/Watches

1. Pink = winter storm warning.
2. Deep blue = winter storm watch.
3. Purple = winter weather advisory. 

My Forecast Snow Map

• Nebraska: Snow will begin north of I-80 in the pre-dawn Monday and spread over most all of the state except the Panhandle by noon. 2-4" likely around Yankton and SE S. Dakota by 9am. Heaviest amounts are likely in the southeast where a foot could fall and it will be drifted by wind gusts to 30-35 mph. 
• Kansas: Scatterei rain showers will begin in the pre-dawn in the southern part of the State and will gradually spread north during the morning. Snow will begin around 6-9am in western Kansas North of a Atchison - Dodge City - Liberal line, the rain will change to snow by mid- to late morning and will quickly become heavy. The heaviest snow is likely to be around a foot in the northeast. 
• Oklahoma: Showers will develop over most of the state in the pre-dawn Monday with a thunderstorm not out of the question Monday morning. They will move rapidly east.

Below is a forecast radar map for 2pm Monday:

The precipitation will temporarily end in south central Kansas due to dry air aloft that will eventually move out by

Forecast radar at 10pm.

The dry air has moved east at this point and snow is moving east across Kansas. More than a foot of snow is possible in parts of Iowa. 

Forecast winds at 10pm.

The pinks are where winds will gust to 30 mph and the darker pinks to 45 mph. So, there will be considerable blowing and drifting of the snow and travel will be extremely dangerous.

Please keep in mind that my definition of heavy snow is 4" or more in 12 hours or less and that the accepted definition of blizzard is wind gusts of 35 mph or stronger for 3 hours or more that cause blowing and driving snow. 

The cold air will begin moving into the northwest United States at midweek and slowly make its way southeast.

Forecast Temperatures 9am Saturday

The white-->green are temperatures (not wind chills) below zero. Click to enlarge to see specific temperatures. Additional snow is also likely the end of the week. 

Forecast Temperatures 6am Tuesday

This is incredibly cold air with well below zero temperatures from Indiana to Oklahoma.