2 days Ago By By Jared Shelton and Payton Counts News-Press NOW Meteorologists
A strong low-pressure system ripped through America’s heartland earlier this week, bringing a multitude of hazards and impacts. Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms made headlines on the southern flank of the sprawling spring storm, while blizzard conditions plagued points farther north. Locally, the storm brought over an inch of rain, one to three inches of snow and a lengthy period of high winds that howled through Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas on Tuesday night, March 4 and Wednesday morning, March 5.
Maximum wind gusts topped out at 66 miles per hour at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, with a gust of 68 miles per hour measured near Rosendale, Missouri in northern Andrew County. The longevity of high winds was also notable, amounting to over four consecutive hours of gusts well over 60 miles per hour every few minutes.
The storm system also prompted the second blizzard warning of the year for St. Joseph and surrounding areas, due to the combination of high winds and blowing snow reducing visibility. Officially, conditions fell just short of blizzard criteria locally, as visibilities dropped to around half a mile for several hours.
Technically a blizzard must produce visibilities at or below one quarter mile for at least three hours. Nonetheless, white out conditions did take place for fleeting periods through parts of the event. Weather related alerts all have a unique set of criteria.
For example, a High Wind Warning, such as the one issued earlier this week, requires sustained winds of 40 miles per hour or greater for at least one hour or wind gusts of 58 miles per hour or higher at any time. With multi-hazard storm systems, cell phones and televisions tend to light up with a litany of watches, warnings, and advisories issued by the National Weather Service. These alerts can be overwhelming and may be tough to follow or recognize.
If you see an uncommon warning or something you don’t understand, you can find more information by watching local meteorologists or entering your zip code on the National Weather Service website. Click on the advisory, watch, or warning in effect or set to take effect, to remain up to date and get accurate information about these hazards. Newspressnow.
com is another online platform where local weather alerts are regularly and accurately posted. Staying informed about your local weather is especially important as the spring and summer storm season ramps up over the next several months..
