The latest model guidance shows that this new storm just might behave like the one we experienced Jan. 6 (although not quite as cold).

In general, many of the significant snowfalls we get owe much of their power to systems that migrate eastward (or northeastward) from the Southwestern U.S. Not so this time. Like the Jan. 6 storm, much of the energy that will drive this event is coming straight down the pike from Central Canada.

The picture below, which is a forecast of winds and (effectively) temperatures at high altitudes for Sunday evening, shows a yellow and red blob over western North Dakota that is poised to plunge southward over the Central Plains.

http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2010/Feb/05/GFS_forecast.JPG

To some degree, and we don’t know exactly how much yet, this piece of energy coming from Canada will merge with the little swirl shown over Las Vegas and give us a rather cold and snowy event Sunday night and Monday. The extent to which these two systems combine will have a big impact on our snow totals.

The latest trends suggest they will help one another out, but not completely join forces until both systems have passed us by. In this outcome, the heaviest snow would occur to our south (perhaps across southeastern Kansas and northeast Oklahoma) as the more potent northern-stream storm tries to push his little brother farther south out of our way.

The way things look right now, though, several inches of snow are likely. Stay tuned to our forecasts for the latest!