One thing’s for sure, the weather will be much more pleasant when the Chiefs play the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

KSHB-41 meteorologist Mike Nicco warns that Saturday’s rain may shift to snow by evening, with dusting-to-2-inch accumulations possible, especially on elevated surfaces. Their forecast team says travel could be tricky in places, particularly near I-70 and farther north.

That chilly pattern begins building immediately after Thanksgiving. According to KMBC’s winter outlook, highs are expected to slide into the 30s by Thursday afternoon even though the sun may peek through. By Friday, frigid northerly winds could drive low temperatures well below freezing.

Longer-range climatology backs up that risk: November in Kansas City typically brings a few rainy days – and only very light average snowfall (less than half an inch) over the month. The Old Farmer’s Almanac also weighs in with a “patchwork” holiday forecast, noting scattered showers in the Midwest around Nov. 27, but no major travel-disrupting blizzard.

Bottom line: for Thanksgiving travel and football gatherings, be ready for damp roads Thursday evening. Plan on layering for Friday and Saturday – and don’t rule out a few slippery spots if the models verify and that weekend system nudges in colder air.

Former Kansas City meteorologist Gary Lezak says he’s not trying to get his hopes up for a good snowfall. He posted the computer model above with his fingers crossed.

–Dwight Widaman

The post Kansas City Thanksgiving: Rain, Snow, and Travel Updates appeared first on Metro Voice News.

The accumulated weight and moisture of up to 20 pounds per square foot, as well as the resulting ice that forms as the snow melts and refreezes, is hard on decks, patios, roofs, landscapes and more. Shoveling the wrong way can lead to a sore back or even a heart attack. Check out these steps to make shoveling both safer and easier.

• Basic tools. A good snow shovel should be lightweight but strong enough to do the job. Polyethylene (plastic) shovels don’t rust and are ideal for surfaces such as wood or composite decks that can be easily damaged. However, they’re not as durable as metal shovels, especially in the cold. Metal shovels are heavier duty. Aluminum ones are lighter than steel but are more susceptible to bending and other damage. Steel shovels can rust and have been known to not only damage wood surfaces, but concrete as well, but they’re still the go-to material for really heavy loads.
• Step up. Nonpowered wheeled snow pushers excel at quickly clearing walkways, driveways and other areas where the snow simply needs to be pushed off the main area. Corded and battery-powered electric snow shovels feature motorized paddles to grab and toss snow forward and out of the way. They come in traditional and wheeled versions and can clear up to 8 inches deep. For light snow, under 2 inches, a leaf blower works great but it should be done before the sun has a chance to melt the top flakes.
• All powered up. Cordless electric snow blowers typically are effective to a working depth of 18 inches of snow, while corded models tend to max out around 12 inches. Snow blowers toss snow to the side and ideally, the snow should be thrown as far as possible, although not into the neighbor’s yard/ Throwing it too close means that the snow likely will have to be moved again.
• Saving the shrubs. Very heavy, wet snow of over 8 inches can damage shrubs that retain their leaves during the winter. When sweeping snow off shrubs and other perennial plants with a common synthetic bristle kitchen broom or hand brush, remove snow under the plant first, then the lower branches and work upward. Starting at the top can result in too much snow flowing down to the bottom branches, weighing them down and breaking them. Never shake frozen, brittle plants to remove snow.
• Really up to it? Shoveling snow is demanding on the heart. If there’s any concern, check with a doctor first. Hiring the kid next door may be the best solution. Smoking, eating or drinking caffeine or alcohol just before or during shoveling can add additional heart stress.
• Prep for a workout. Any weightlifter will agree that muscles and joints that have been warmed up are less likely to get injured. Focus on the back, arms, shoulders and legs. And be sure to hydrate and consume electrolytes — that’s not just true for summer heat.
• The all-important lift. Do not overload the shovel. Smaller amounts are safer. The job will still get done. If one does need to lift, bend the knees, keeping the back straight, feet hip-width apart and lift with the legs. Keep the shovel weight close to the body, and avoid twisting to throw snow.

–Alan Goforth and “The Epoch Times” with permission.

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a pretty mild winter in Missouri, with snow flurries possibly even making an appearance on Christmas, according to FOX2. Things might get wet by the end of the year, though, with flurries turning to rain and then snow by year’s end. Their rivals at the Farmers’ Almanac, on the other hand, are predicting a wild ride of a winter, with a “wet winter whirlwind” with rapid-fire storms of both rain and snow.

According to KSHB 41 Action News, temperatures are expected to be around average during December, January, and February in the Kansas City area. The station relies on the weather model developed by Gary Lezak, founder of Weather 20/20 and former KSHB-TV Chief Meteorologist.  Named the LRC, for Lezak’s Recuring Cycle, the model says a pattern develops each year that can accuately predict weather fronts and storms for about 10 months or more. Lezak is expected to announce the data backing this season’s forecast in the next week. The model has proven extremely accurate in past years.

KCTV 5 News reports they will provide more specific forecasts as we get closer to winter.

In Kansas, the National Weather Service thinks things will be warmer than usual from November through early January, at least in the Wichita area. The Farmers’ Almanac is also seeing a warmer winter for Kansas, but with less precipitation and snow than usual earlier in the season. If you’re hoping for a good snowfall it will likely come in late January and early February.

A few bigger weather trends could also shake things up. Forecasters are expecting a La Niña event to develop this fall and stick around through the winter, which usually means more storms tracking through the Midwest, and potentially a lot more precipitation, according to NOAA. El Niño years, on the other hand, tend to bring drier, warmer weather to the Midwest. But La Niña can lead to those really cold snaps and big snowfalls, according to the NBC Chicago.

Of course, the best way to know what’s really coming to Missouri and Kansas is to keep an eye on those forecasts as we get closer to winter. Things can change a lot between now and then!

–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice

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If Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous Groundhog, sees his shadow at daybreak and runs away, tradition holds that he has predicted that there will be six more weeks of a chilly winter. If there is no shadow, he has predicted that spring will arrive early.

READ: The Christian connection to Groundhog Day

The group’s predictions on average have been correct just about 35% of the time. With the law of averages and weather records for the past 100 years, that’s about as good as guessing.

The past few years of predictions have been fairly even, with the groundhog seeing his shadow in 2018, indicating six more weeks of winter, and then not seeing it in 2019, meaning an early spring. In 2020, he did not see his shadow, but then he saw it again both in 2021 and in 2022.

Even though the media-hyped Punxsutawney Phil weather prediction is the one people gather to see, the groundhog’s prediction is strangely made ahead of the big moment by the group on Gobbler’s Knob, a location close to Punxsutawney, just around 65 miles away from Pittsburgh. Although the quirky day got its start in the late 19th century, historians believe Groundhog Day stems from Candlemas, a Christian holiday that dates back to the fourth century.

Surviving records show that the idea of weather-predicting animals was introduced during Candlemas festivities held in Germany. These animals included badgers, hedgehogs, bears and foxes. Dutch groups who migrated to Pennsylvania adopted the lore of weather-predicting badgers and hedgehogs. It appears that over time, the lore shifted to include groundhogs because of Pennsylvania’s limited badger population and lack of native hedgehogs.

Although Groundhog Day is entertaining. meteorologists at the National Weather Service State College recommend that people get their weather forecasts from trained professionals.

This year, however, the public has complained that the Weather Service is about as correct as the famous Groundhog.

–Alan Goforth | MV

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That Christmas Eve, Kansas City received as much as 12 to 20 inches of snow, depending on where you lived. The next morning, with snow still lilting down, we could see that our manger scene, set among the bushes, was almost buried. All that was visible of a kneeling Mary was her forehead capped with a bouffant headdress of snow. The cow, donkey and sheep were gone, not to mention baby Jesus. Joseph had collapsed from joy–apparently blown over in the wind. He was just a hump of white. The poor wisemen looked as if they would rather have stayed home instead of lugging frankincense and myrrh through our landscaping.

After our family traditions that morning (which include homemade cinnamon rolls before stockings, breakfast casserole, then reading the Christmas story in Luke), I opened the garage door and paused. “What am I doing?” I thought to myself. I really didn’t want to shovel the driveway and questioned whether our little Honda CR-V could make it down our country lane and onto the road.

“Is it worth it?” “Will anyone care if we don’t show up?”

I thought of a multitude of excuses why NOT to drive into town. I wasn’t feelin’ the determination of those snow-covered wisemen.

I came in and Anita immediately read my mind. Without either of us saying a word, I turned around and headed back out. With one side of the driveway cleared I made a test run with our small SUV down our long and winding lane to our country road, which was still untouched by vehicle tracks.

Returning to the garage, I loaded up the family and we made our way through Pleasant Hill. It was a virtual ghost town. The Pleasant Hill Health and Rehab nursing home was a similar story–only one or two big SUVs sat with their windows already dusted with fresh snow. Maybe we made the right decision I thought.

Inside we greeted the CNAs with a special plate of cookies and thanked them for their service to the residents on this snowy holiday away from their families.

Passing out our other goodies, the residents’ faces lit up, not because of the sugary treats, but at the moment their eyes met those of Hannah and Emma. Big grins ensued and they reached out to hug or pat the girls on the cheek. The nursing home residents laughed with delight.

Later we made our way to the cafeteria where residents were wheeling and walking in. Anita played the piano and we sang every Christmas tune and Christmas hymn we knew. Our captive audience was smiling and joining in and didn’t mind if we didn’t know all the words. They did and that was all that mattered.

On the way home I asked the girls why it was important to give up part of our Christmas to visit with people we had never met before.

“Because it’s Christmas Day and there were no families to see their grammas and grampas,” Hannah replied. “We were their family,” Emma added.

We didn’t bring incense or myrrh and our family quartet wasn’t a choir of heavenly angels announcing the birth of Christ, but our little offering of time to some lonely nursing home residents was the best–maybe only gift–we could lay at the manger that snowy Christmas morning.

–Dwight Widaman has served as editor of Metro Voice since 1990

Photo: Sylvia Duckworth | Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

The post Snow didn’t deter the only gift our family could give Jesus on Christmas Day appeared first on Metro Voice News.

Local weather forecasters are saying the region could see sleet and snow this weekend but in the long-range, Several factors will determine how cold and snowy it will be.

With an El Niño, sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator are in a warming cycle. That warmth caused a tropical storm to magnify into a category 5 hurricane within 24 hours on Tuesday before it hit Mexico.  It was the fastest development of a storm observed in the satellite era.

Strangely, those conditions will result in temperatures in the southern U.S. to trend much cooler with increased precipitation, while above normal temperatures hang out in the northern part of the United States.

It all depends on where the jet stream goes, which is expected to hover over Missouri, meaning that forecasters cannot predict what to expect just yet.

This weekend’s weather could be our first sign of how the weather pattern is setting up.

“A shift in that storm track by just a few hundred miles could mean the difference between above-normal precipitation or below-normal precipitation,” Jack Leasor, a University of Missouri climatologist says. “So we certainly have less confidence in that precipitation it can go either way, but we would expect those above-normal temperatures.”

Any sort of precipitation can help alleviate the drought-like conditions parts of the state has experienced for close to two years.

“We really need not a normal or below-normal winter, but we need that precipitation to be above normal to help kind of erase some of the deficits,” he said. “It’s not great to see this kind of uncertainty especially with the precipitation. We would like a clear wet signal, but at this point, there’s not a lot of confidence in that precipitation forecast for winter.”

Based on 30-year El Niño events, temperatures typically are above normal from the November to March time period, according to Leasor.

“Especially if you’re in the northern half of the state, the signal’s a little bit stronger,” Leasor said. “So we’ve got more confidence that temperatures will be warmer and more confidence in that temperature forecast than precipitation right now.”

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a cold and snowy winter for the heartland, including Kansas and Missouri.

KSHB TV in Kansas City posted on their blog the region could see a mixtur of sleet and snow very soon bought by a storm expected to “track to our north, but bring a strong cold front through Friday. There is a fourth [storm], not formed yet. This is a storm system that could bring a cold rain ending as a mix of sleet and snow this weekend.”

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice

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“The 2024 Farmers’ Almanac says, ‘The B-R-R is Back,’ meaning that there’s going to be a lot of cold temperatures coming to your neck of the woods this winter season,” managing editor Sandi Dunca said. “Overall, we’re thinking that it’s going to be ultimately more of a cold than a snowy winter, but we do see some occasional bouts of storminess bringing widespread rain and snow to your region.”

Duncan said the region can expect winterlike temperatures in the late fall, shortly after Thanksgiving.

“Winter is going to start a little bit early,” she said. “It looks like in December, the Farmers’ Almanac is calling for some snowy conditions. Some people like to have a little bit of white around the Christmas holidays, so that may happen, but looking into January and February, the cold is more the headliner this winter.”

The almanac also is calling for the cold to stretch beyond February.

“Winter is going to hang on,” Duncan said. “Even though the calendar may say spring, it looks like it’s going to be kind of a polar coaster, meaning that we see nice days that remind you that spring is coming, but overall, we see a kind of a chilly, rainy season on tap for you all.”

The Lewiston, Maine-based publication boasts a forecast accuracy rate of 80 percent to 85 percent. Duncan admitted they sometimes are off, citing last year’s forecast that predicted a colder than normal winter for Missouri.

“Cold weather kind of got stuck over Russia and China, so of course, you had some cold conditions, but our forecast was slightly off the mark,” she said. “But you know, we do our best. We try to give people an idea of what may come 12 months to 16 months down the road so that you can plan ahead.”

The Almanac says they use three scientific disciplines to make long-range predictions: solar science, the study of sunspots and other solar activity; climatology, the study of prevailing weather patterns; and meteorology, the study of the atmosphere. “We predict weather trends and events by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity.”

–Dwight Widaman |Metro Voic

The post “The B-R-R is back”: Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts cold, snowy winter for Missouri and Kansas appeared first on Metro Voice News.

A complete winter weather emergency kit, or “go bag,” should contain a combination of supplies needed to survive, along with tools that can come in handy in emergency situations. Go bags are useful in situations when a quick evacuation is required, but they also can be helpful for people who find themselves suddenly stuck in a car or at home during a blizzard.

A good emergency supply kit has three days’ worth of water and food per person, according to Ready.gov. This means roughly 2,000 calories of food and a gallon of water for each person for each day. These kits also should include items such as can openers, maps, basic tools, garbage bags and duct tape.

Consider including LifeStraw or a similar product with a small water filter that filters out viruses, bacteria and parasites from dirty water. LifeStraw also sells water bottles with an integrated filter so in a snow emergency users can fill up a water bottle with melted snow and drink it without fear.

The go bag also should include items such as a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight, first aid kit, extra batteries and backup cell phone chargers, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Additionally, consider purchasing a multi-use tool such as a Swiss army knife.

It also is important to have a seven-day supply of necessary medications and copies of important personal documents in the go bag, according to the American Red Cross. Although a person who is riding out a storm at home likely has full access to a medicine cabinet, this is not the case when someone in a car gets stuck during winter weather. In addition to any necessary medications, it’s a good idea to keep a small supply of over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil in a car’s emergency kit.

A blanket in a bright color can be used to signal for help in addition to providing heat. If possible, it’s a smart move to include some cash, because power outages may make paying with credit or with debit cards impossible.

–Alan Goforth | MV

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The Dallas-based carrier canceled more flights Monday evening bringing to 71 percent the number of its scheduled flights canceled for the day as a result of winter weather, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Southwest has been hit harder than any other airline with more than 10,700 flights canceled in total.

Another 667 flights were delayed, leaving customers waiting around, often for hours, in busy airports. A day prior, on Sunday, the airline canceled more than 1,600 flights.

Passengers whose flights were canceled were later notified that they would not be able to rebook on Southwest Airlines until Saturday, Dec. 31, or after, according to multiple reports.

In a statement, the airline blamed the severe weather events on the cancellations, noting that it was fully staffed and “prepared” for the busy holiday travel week.

“Our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning,” the airline said. “We’re working with safety at the forefront to urgently address wide-scale disruption by rebalancing the airline and repositioning crews and our fleet ultimately to best serve all who plan to travel with us.”

The airline added that the winter blizzard had “forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity.”

New Year to See Reduced Flights

“This safety-first work is intentional, ongoing, and necessary to return to normal reliability, one that minimizes last-minute inconveniences. We anticipate additional changes with an already reduced level of flights as we approach the coming New Year holiday travel period. And we’re working to reach to Customers whose travel plans will change with specific information and their available options,” Southwest said.

The airline also vowed to “work to make things right for those we’ve let down, including our employees.”

However, Southwest Airlines also began canceling flights before the Christmas weekend—scrapping 1,300 flights on Thursday and Friday last week.

Following thousands of flight cancellations, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was “concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays and reports of lack of prompt customer service” and will be investigating whether or not the cancellations were “controllable” and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.

The storm that began before Christmas and swept the country with snow and record temperatures for December, was one of the biggest in terms of impact. The death toll has passed 50 with emergency personnel still looking for bodes in stranded vehicles in Upstate New York.

–Metro Voice and wire services

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While the region did not receive more than a few inches of powdery snow, the frigid temperatures are expected to prevent it from melting.

That’s not unusual when it happens. Most of Kansas City’s white Christmases don’t actually feature accumulating snow on Christmas Day itself but rather snow that’s still on the ground having fallen a few days earlier, according to KSHB-TV. The National Weather Service’s office in Kansas City looked back to 1952 and found 52 of the last 70 (74 percent) Christmases have had no snow, and no new snow fall. Eleven Christmases had between 1 and 3 inches of snow on the ground, with five more having at least 3 inches on the ground.

The most recent white Christmas in Kansas City came back in 2017 when at least an inch of snow was on the ground. Kansas City saw back-to-back white Christmases in 2012 and 2013, with more than three inches of snow on the ground in 2013. Perhaps the most memorable recent white Christmas in Kansas City came in 2009, when many locations across northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri picked up several inches of snow, starting on Christmas Eve. The snowfall led to travel headaches across the Midwest.

The 2009 Christmas was the third Christmas in a row where snow was around on Christmas Day. The 2007 snowfall also led to widespread travel concerns, including flight delays at Kansas City International Airport.

According to FOX4 Meteorologist Joe Lauria, a white Christmas requires at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. It could be snow that has already fallen or that falls on the day itself.

“If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones you used to know, where treetops glisten and children listen, we might be able to help you out with one of those,” KMBC-TV reported. The region remains in a weather emergency as wind chills reach down to -20 during the day on Friday.

There is a slight chance of snow on Christmas Day but it would begin around 10 pm. That would still count as snowfall for the day according to meteorologists.

–Dwight Widaman | MV

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