COLUMBIA — A winter storm watch has been issued for Boone County from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon.
The National Weather Service said significant ice accumulations are possible for the watch area, which includes much of the northwestern half of Missouri. A freezing rain advisory was posted for counties to the north and west.
Rain and freezing rain were forecasted for Friday night and Saturday.
“We’ve got an upper level storm system with warm air overriding cool air and a 30 percent chance of rain tonight,” said Butch Dye, a hydro-meteorological technician at the National Weather Service in St. Louis.
With near or below freezing surface temperatures, an unsettled weather pattern and significant amounts or precipitation, wintry conditions are expected to continue throughout the weekend and into the first half of next week. The Weather Service is forecasting greater amounts of precipitation Saturday night into Sunday and again late Monday night into Tuesday.
Precipitation types in the next few days will depend on temperatures at the surface and aloft.
“I don’t think there will be any major freezing rain accumulations,” Dye said. “While there is some type of precipitation in the forecast for the next several days, temperatures in the daytime are expected to be above freezing so chances for really bad weather are borderline.”
A winter storm watch means there is the potential for significant winter weather that may impact travel.