Snowy Surprise: Why Eastern Missouri Might See More Snow This Weekend

Eastern Missouri is gearing up for its first snowfall of the season, with a weather alert in place for Friday night and Saturday. The region could see 2 to 4 inches of snow, with some areas potentially getting even more. But why is this happening? It all comes down to some cool physics. Clouds are a mix of ice crystals, supercooled water droplets, and water vapor. Most people know about condensation and evaporation, but have you heard of sublimation? Sublimation is when a solid turns directly into a gas, or vice versa, without becoming a liquid first. This happens all the time in clouds. When water vapor turns into ice crystals or ice evaporates into vapor, it takes energy from the environment. This process cools the atmosphere. As precipitation rates increase, these processes happen more often, cooling the atmosphere even more. This cooling could keep temperatures low enough for snow to keep falling in eastern Missouri through late Saturday morning. If the high-end forecast is correct, some areas could see more than 4 inches of snow, mostly east of Mid-Missouri. If you're planning to travel for the holidays, it's best to finish your plans before sunset on Friday. Otherwise, consider staying off the roads on Saturday until they clear later in the weekend. But why does this matter? Well, understanding these processes can help us better prepare for weather events. It's not just about knowing when it's going to snow, but also why it's happening. This knowledge can help us make better decisions, whether it's planning our travel or just staying safe during winter weather.