As we begin to thaw out from yesterday’s ice storm, it is time to turn our attention to several threats this week. The first one coming as soon as tomorrow afternoon.
The NAM, which nailed this past storm, shows precipitation entering the state tomorrow afternoon between 1 and 4pm. It may begin very briefly as a snow/sleet mix but will quickly transition to a sleet and freezing rain mix once again. The icy mix will continue through the evening commute and into tomorrow night. Temperatures will slowly climb above freezing tomorrow night or early Wednesday morning.
In this slideshow, the NAM shows the classic “cold air damming” signature dip southward of the blue line that we saw with this past event, indicating below freezing air at the surface over our area while temperatures warm aloft:
[slideshow_deploy id=’9532′]
Behind that system, warmer air will continue to flow into the region with highs on Wednesday approaching 50°. Unfortunately, the warmth will be short-lived as another cold front is poised to slowly push into the area during the afternoon and evening. An area of low pressure is expected to develop along the front and spread rain into our area Wednesday night and Thursday.
At the same time, colder air behind the front will be pushing into the area, turning the rain to snow. Depending on the timing of the cold air and how much moisture remains, accumulating snowfall is possible Thursday with the greatest chances of accumulation north and west of I-95.
There is little model agreement and still a lot to be worked out between now and then but at this time, be advised that there is a chance of a late season snowfall for the state.
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