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Category 6 has moved! See the latest from Dr. Jeff Masters and Bob Henson here.Incredible Temperature Gradient in Southern/Central Plains
Incredible Temperature Gradient in Southern/Central Plains
A sharp temperature gradient is occurring over the southern and central Great Plains today (Tuesday, April 9th) as a late season arctic cold front sweeps across the region. Temperatures range more than 60°F (33°C) from the eastern portions of Nebraska and Kansas to their respective western portions.
Surface conditions across the southern and central Plains as of 1:43 CST, April 9th. Note the temperature gradient over northern Texas of some 60°! Map from UCAR.
At 1 p.m. CST, April 9th the temperature in Falls City, Nebraska (in the state’s southeastern corner) stood at 75°F (24°C) while in Alliance and Sydney (western Nebraska) the temperature was concurrently 12°F (-11°C). In Kansas the temperatures at 2 P.m. CST ranged from 77°F (25°C) in Winfield to 17° (-8°C) in Goodland. In Oklahoma, the front was just passing through the western portion of the state and, as of 1 p.m. CST, accompanied by a 50°F (28°C) drop of temperature over just an hour or two. It was 34°F (1°C) in Gage while just 100 miles to the southeast in Altus it was 82°F (28°C).
Temperatures across Oklahoma as of 1:30 p.m. CST April 9th ranged from 26°F (-3.3°C) in the panhandle to 82°F (27.8°C) in several southern sites. Map from Oklahoma MESONET.
Amarillo, Texas saw its temperature slide from a record high of 89°F (31.7°C) on Monday afternoon (April 8th) to 37° (2.8°C) by 1 p.m. Tuesday. Some light snowfall may occur later in the day. If the temperature falls to 20°F (-6.7°C) or lower Wednesday morning (April 10th), which is possible, the city will tie or break its record low temperature for the date (set in 1951).
Heavy snow and near blizzard conditions are raging across western Nebraska and eastern Colorado where tornadoes were reported just yesterday evening. At 9 p.m. MST on Monday (April 8th) a tornado was reported on the ground just 6 miles east of Akron, Colorado at the same time the town was reporting a 36°F temperature and snow (with winds gusting to 79 mph at 8 p.m.).
The regional radar observation at 10 p.m. MST on April 8th shows the amazing convective frozen precipitation over the northeastern corner of Colorado just hours after tornadoes had been reported in the region, these then immediately followed by snowfall! Wunderground.com radar.
The temperature in Akron fell from 71°F (21.7°C) at 2 p.m. Monday to 12°F (-11.1°C) by 6 a.m. Tuesday. Denver has seen a similar precipitous drop of temperature with a high of 71°F (21.7°C) on Monday around noon to 14°F (-10.0°C) by 6 a.m. this morning (Tuesday) with 3-7” of snow already accumulating across the metro area so far.
More extreme weather may be expected over the entire eastern two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. over the next two or three days with record warmth in the east, record cold in the west and heavy snow and severe thunderstorms in between.
Christopher C. Burt
Weather Historian
A sharp temperature gradient is occurring over the southern and central Great Plains today (Tuesday, April 9th) as a late season arctic cold front sweeps across the region. Temperatures range more than 60°F (33°C) from the eastern portions of Nebraska and Kansas to their respective western portions.
Surface conditions across the southern and central Plains as of 1:43 CST, April 9th. Note the temperature gradient over northern Texas of some 60°! Map from UCAR.
At 1 p.m. CST, April 9th the temperature in Falls City, Nebraska (in the state’s southeastern corner) stood at 75°F (24°C) while in Alliance and Sydney (western Nebraska) the temperature was concurrently 12°F (-11°C). In Kansas the temperatures at 2 P.m. CST ranged from 77°F (25°C) in Winfield to 17° (-8°C) in Goodland. In Oklahoma, the front was just passing through the western portion of the state and, as of 1 p.m. CST, accompanied by a 50°F (28°C) drop of temperature over just an hour or two. It was 34°F (1°C) in Gage while just 100 miles to the southeast in Altus it was 82°F (28°C).
Temperatures across Oklahoma as of 1:30 p.m. CST April 9th ranged from 26°F (-3.3°C) in the panhandle to 82°F (27.8°C) in several southern sites. Map from Oklahoma MESONET.
Amarillo, Texas saw its temperature slide from a record high of 89°F (31.7°C) on Monday afternoon (April 8th) to 37° (2.8°C) by 1 p.m. Tuesday. Some light snowfall may occur later in the day. If the temperature falls to 20°F (-6.7°C) or lower Wednesday morning (April 10th), which is possible, the city will tie or break its record low temperature for the date (set in 1951).
Heavy snow and near blizzard conditions are raging across western Nebraska and eastern Colorado where tornadoes were reported just yesterday evening. At 9 p.m. MST on Monday (April 8th) a tornado was reported on the ground just 6 miles east of Akron, Colorado at the same time the town was reporting a 36°F temperature and snow (with winds gusting to 79 mph at 8 p.m.).
The regional radar observation at 10 p.m. MST on April 8th shows the amazing convective frozen precipitation over the northeastern corner of Colorado just hours after tornadoes had been reported in the region, these then immediately followed by snowfall! Wunderground.com radar.
The temperature in Akron fell from 71°F (21.7°C) at 2 p.m. Monday to 12°F (-11.1°C) by 6 a.m. Tuesday. Denver has seen a similar precipitous drop of temperature with a high of 71°F (21.7°C) on Monday around noon to 14°F (-10.0°C) by 6 a.m. this morning (Tuesday) with 3-7” of snow already accumulating across the metro area so far.
More extreme weather may be expected over the entire eastern two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. over the next two or three days with record warmth in the east, record cold in the west and heavy snow and severe thunderstorms in between.
Christopher C. Burt
Weather Historian
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The views of the author are his/her own and do not necessarily represent the position of The Weather Company or its parent, IBM.