Winter settles into the Ozarks with snow, bitter cold in forecast

A mix of snow and sleet moved into the West Plains area for the first time in 2024 at around 11 a.m. Friday, challenging this hardy clump of dandelion and prompting the early closure of West Plains and other Howell County schools, including Glenwood, Willow Springs, Mtn. View-Birch Tree and His Place Christian Academy. More wintry precipitation fell Monday and Tuesday with no accumulation reported, and the National Weather Service (NWS), based in Springfield, is calling for chances of rain Friday until noon, at which point it may turn to snow. More chances for snow are forecast for Sunday, along with bitter cold moving into the area Saturday, with a high temperature of 29 degrees expected that day. Overnight lows over the weekend, without factoring in wind chill, are expected to dip into the lower teens and single digits. The high temperature Monday, according to NWS, is expected to peak at 15 degrees.