Plenty of Cold Air to Go Around

12-NOON TEMPERATURE CONTRAST IN TEXAS
It was 15 degrees with strong north winds at Dalhart, in the Panhandle, while Dallas-Fort Worth had 68. It was near 80 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

This is a bitter cold airmass. Some notes:

* 44 below zero at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park this morning.

* 44 below also at Whiskey, Montana. (Yes, we do get a daily report from Whiskey.)

* A lot of the bitter cold has moved out of Alaska heading south. But still plenty cold in our biggest state. It was 29 below zero at Ft. Yukon. Ironically, that Northern Alaska location holds the all-time high temperature record for Alaska, 100 degrees. That is the only time it has ever been 100 in Alaska.

* Temperatures this morning were as low as 40 below in Southern Canada and it was in the single digits down into NW Kansas.

* Parts of Alaska experienced the coldest weather in 8 years, since February 1999, during the last several days. It was 27 below in the Anchorage area, 52 below in Stoney River and 56 below at Chandalar Lake.

* It is 62 below today at Summit, Greenland on the ice cap.

CITY-BY-CITY IMPACT FROM ALL OF THIS

ST. LOUIS
Winter Stom Watch this evening all the way through Sunday. It was 59 in St. Louis late this morning, but it will fall into the 30s this afternoon with occasional freezing rain after midnight. Much colder on Saturday with freezing rain through the morning, freezing rain continuing Saturday night, still a chance of freezing rain on Sunday. Low temperatures through much of this will be in the low 20s.

OKLAHOMA CITY
27 degrees with brisk north winds late this morning. An Ice Storm Warning this evening through Sunday and freezing rain will start this afternoon. May even be some thunder and lightning with the freezing rain today and tonight. High Saturday about 28. This may cause widespread travel problems and, of course, and Ice Storm Warning implies damage to trees and power lines.

TULSA
Same story–Ice Storm Warning through Sunday.

WICHITA
Only 16 degrees late this morning. A Winter Weather Advisory today and a Winter Storm Watch this evening through Sunday afternoon. Sleet accumulation up to 1 inch tonight with a low near 15.

AMARILLO
Freezing rain this afternoon and a Winter Storm Watch from tonight through Sunday. This means an entire weekend of foul weather. Ice accumulation will be enough to cause widespread travel problems.

DENVER
It was an even zero late this morning at Denver International Airport. They expect light snow to continue along with some freezing drizzle with an additional snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches this afternoon. Snow will increase tonight with 1 to 3 additional inches and another inch on Saturday. Some additional accumulations even Saturday night and Sunday. It should be around 5 below zero Sunday night and as low as 9 below zero Monday. Colorado’s largest city has really been under the gun for wintry weather lately.

SALT LAKE CITY
More snow today. They already have a heavy accumulation. Another couple of inches this afternoon and tonight. Still another 2 inches on Saturday. There was 3 iniches of snow on the ground at Salt Lake Airport this morning, 41 inches at Snowbird in the mountains and 53 inches at Alta, a ski area in the nearby Wasatch Mountains.

LAS VEGAS
A Snow Advisory until late tonight. Low tonight will be near 28. Snow accumulations up to 2 inches even down on the valley floor this afternoon and tonight with winds gusting to 35 mph.

CHICAGO
Rain changing to freezing rain and sleet this evening with a low around 28. High Saturday near freezing. Chance of light snow and sleet starting again after midnight Saturday night. Sunday snow with accumulations possible.

NOTE: This is only a few examples of the winter weather problems with this big cold air outbreak.

PERSONAL: Sure enjoyed the trip with James yesterday to Clanton, Selma, Demopolis, Livingston, York and finally over to Jackson where we met at a Japanese buffet restaurant for a weather program with our friends in the Jackson Forecast Office.

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