Winter storm watch begins tonight for Joplin area, freezing rain expected

(From the National Weather Service)

FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND...

.CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING THAT FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP ACROSS
MUCH OF SOUTHERN MISSOURI LATE TONIGHT...BEFORE SPREADING NORTH
INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS
WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL THEN CONTINUE ON A PERIODIC BASIS INTO
THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI...WHERE
TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDEST.

ICE ACCUMULATION WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE LOCATION AND
EVOLUTION OF THE SURFACE FREEZING LINE...WHICH IS CURRENTLY
EXPECTED TO BE LOCATED NEAR THE ARKANSAS BORDER WHEN PRECIPITATION
BEGINS LATE TONIGHT. THE FREEZING LINE WILL SLOWLY MOVE NORTH
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...WITH FREEZING RAIN CHANGING TO RAIN AS
TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING. CONFIDENCE IN THE SPEED OF THIS
NORTHWARD PROGRESSION REMAINS QUITE LOW.

AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 60 WILL HAVE
THE POTENTIAL OF RECEIVING BETWEEN A TENTH AND QUARTER OF AN INCH
OF FREEZING RAIN. ALONG THE HIGHWAY 60 AND INTERSTATE 44
CORRIDORS...ICE AMOUNTS ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO TOTAL ONE
QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH. THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS
CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS PARTS OF EASTERN
KANSAS...WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLDEST FOR THE LONGEST
PERIOD OF TIME. ICE TOTALS ACROSS THIS AREA ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED
TO BE IN EXCESS OF THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT TEMPERATURE CHANGES OF JUST ONE DEGREE
COULD HAVE MAJOR IMPACTS ON FINAL ICE ACCUMULATION TOTALS...AND
FORECAST CHANGES ARE LIKELY AS TEMPERATURES ARE FINE TUNED.

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>096-098-130000-
/O.CON.KSGF.WS.A.0001.170113T0600Z-170115T0000Z/
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS-
LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-
LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-SHANNON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT SCOTT...PAWNEE STATION...
CHICOPEE...LONE OAK...PITTSBURG...BAXTER SPRINGS...LOWELL...
RIVERTON...COLUMBUS...NEUTRAL...SHERWIN...STIPPVILLE...WARSAW...
WHITAKERVILLE...COLE CAMP...CROCKERVILLE...MORA...EDMONSON...
LINCOLN...VERSAILLES...ROCKY MOUNT...STOVER...LAURIE...
AURORA SPRINGS...ELDON...LAKE OZARK...VICHY...NEVADA...TIFFIN...
APPLETON CITY...JOHNSON CITY...WEAUBLEAU...HERMITAGE...QUINCY...
WHEATLAND...CROSS TIMBERS...OSAGE BEACH...CAMDENTON...
DECATURVILLE...ROACH...VILLAGE OF FOUR SEASONS...
FORT LEONARD WOOD...LAQUEY...WAYNESVILLE...NORTHWYE...ROLLA...
KENOMA...LAMAR...CEDAR SPRINGS...EL DORADO SPRINGS...FILLEY...
ARNICA...CAPLINGER MILLS...STOCKTON...BOLIVAR...BUFFALO...
CHARITY...FOOSE...MARCH...PLAD...WINDYVILLE...OLIVE...LYNCHBURG...
LEBANON...PLATO...ROBY...BENDAVIS...HUGGINS...LAKE SPRING...
BANGERT...DARIEN...GLADDEN...HOWES...JADWIN...SALEM...JOPLIN...
CARTHAGE...GREENFIELD...LOCKWOOD...MEINERT...SPRINGFIELD...
MARSHFIELD...NORTHVIEW...SEYMOUR...ROGERSVILLE...DAWSON...GRAFF...
MOUNTAIN GROVE...DUNCAN...MANSFIELD...NEOSHO...AURORA...
MOUNT VERNON...MARIONVILLE...NIXA...CHRISTIAN CENTER...OZARK...
SELMORE...VANZANT...AVA...GOODHOPE...ROME...SQUIRES...DOGWOOD...
TERESITA...WINONA...BIRCH TREE...MONTIER
343 AM CST THU JAN 12 2017

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

* TIMING...FREEZING RAIN...POSSIBLY BRIEFLY MIXED WITH SLEET...IS
  EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI AROUND OR JUST
  AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION WILL THEN EXPAND TO THE
  NORTH DURING THE MORNING FRIDAY.

  THE SURFACE FREEZING LINE WILL SLOWLY MOVE NORTH DURING THE DAY
  FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...CAUSING SOME AREAS TO CHANGE FROM
  FREEZING RAIN TO RAIN. THIS IS MOST LIKELY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
  PORTION OF THE WATCH AREA.

* MAIN IMPACT...ALONG THE HIGHWAY 60 AND INTERSTATE 44
  CORRIDORS...BETWEEN ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF INCH OF ICE IS
  POSSIBLE. ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI AND THE HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR...
  ICE AMOUNTS MAY EXCEED THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH.

  MAJOR IMPACTS TO TRAVEL ARE LIKELY SHOULD ICE ACCRETE ON AREA
  ROADWAYS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICE
  ACCRETION.

* OTHER IMPACTS...ICE ACCRETION ON TREES AND POWERLINES MAY
  RESULT IN SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.