Leavenworth County included in winter storm watch
Leavenworth County is included in a winter storm watch beginning late Friday and ending Saturday evening.
The National Weather Service has issued the watch, which also is in effect for several northeast Kansas counties, including Jefferson, Douglas, Johnson and Atchison.
Precipitation is expected to begin before midnight Friday, but will change to a mix of rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet. Precipitation likely will become all heavy snow by early Saturday morning.
Total snowfall is expected between 4 and 8 inches.
AS A VERY POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THE WATCH AREA
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT…MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO SURGE NORTH AND OVERSPREAD
AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS. PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY BEGIN AS RAIN
BEFORE MIDNIGHT FRIDAY…HOWEVER WILL QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO A MIX OF
RAIN…SNOW…FREEZING RAIN…AND SLEET AFTER MIDNIGHT. PRECIPITATION
WILL LIKELY BECOME ALL HEAVY SNOW BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING…WITH
SNOWFALL RATES POSSIBLY REACHING 2 INCHES PER HOUR.
TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS MAY VARY ANYWHERE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES
ACROSS THE WATCH AREA BEFORE THE SNOW COMES TO AN END SATURDAY
AFTERNOON. LOCALIZED AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 8 INCHES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA. THIS HEAVY SNOW WILL LIKELY REDUCE
VISIBILITIES WELL BELOW ONE MILE AND CREATE VERY HAZARDOUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS SATURDAY MORNING.