Category: 7-Day Outlook
Highlights:
- Blowing and drifting issues
- Snow returns late tonight
- Prolonged stretch of severe cold
Bundle Up; Snow Returns Overnight…Yesterday’s snow event went as planned and many Hoosiers are waking up to several inches of powder this morning. The winners yesterday stretched from Frankfort to Elwood to Winchester with a 6″ to 7″ band of snow. All of that fresh snow will be blown and drifted about today with strong and gusty northwest winds. If your travels take you into the open country, plan on significant blowing and drifting and leave extra time to reach your destination.
Additional upper level energy will scoot across the region late tonight into early Sunday and this will help kick up an area of light snow for central and southern portions of the state as we head into New Year’s Eve. With the arctic air mass in place, don’t be surprised if we squeeze a quick inch out in spots.
Otherwise, the big story is the prolonged nature of this severe cold. At times, wind chill values will drop to more than 30° below zero through early week. Take the frigid conditions seriously. Reinforcing arctic air will pour in here late next week and lead to scattered snow showers along with a bitter feel after slight midweek “moderation.”
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 1″ to 3″
- Rainfall: 0.00″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/30/additional-snow-overnight-dangerous-cold-grips-the-region/
Highlights:
- Accumulating snow on the way
- Frigid times remain
- Dangerously cold next week
Snow And Major League Cold On Deck…A weak impulse of energy will track across the region today and will be just enough to ignite a couple of snow showers and scattered flurries. For most, this won’t be a big deal. A more impactful opportunity for accumulating snow will arrive Friday as a clipper system moves southeast. Snow will develop late tonight across the Plains states before expanding in overall coverage and intensity as it pushes southeast into the Ohio Valley Friday. With such cold air in place, snowfall ratios will be higher than the standard 10:1 and snow will quickly accumulate on roadways, making for slick travel Friday afternoon into the evening. Here’s our current snowfall forecast for Friday:
Snow showers will taper off Saturday morning and give way to a blustery, bitter day. Temperatures will fall through the day and wind chill values will turn dangerous Saturday afternoon and evening (10° to 20° below zero). This arctic intrusion will set us up for a frigid close to 2017 and open to 2018. In fact, we expect severely cold conditions early next week (double-digit below zero readings, including wind chill values approaching 30° below zero at times). Plan and prepare now.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 2″ to 4″
- Rainfall: 0.00″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/28/accumulating-snow-friday-dangerous-cold-develops-next-week/
Highlights:
- Frigid times
- Snow chances return
- Bitter open to 2018
Serious Cold…Arctic high pressure has settled over the region and combined with our snow cover to produce the coldest morning around these parts in a couple of years. Some across central Indiana are awaking to double digit below zero readings. Even the slightest breeze coupled with these bitterly cold readings creates dangerous conditions to spend time outdoors.
Cold is here to stay. In fact, we’ll only grow more bitter next week. If we can put snow down between now and then, there’s a good chance we’re not even cold enough early next week with forecast temperatures. Speaking of snow, we’ll have to keep close tabs on impulses of upper level energy late tonight into Thursday for the potential of overachieving in the snowfall department (similar to what the I-70 corridor experienced Tuesday). With arctic air in place, it doesn’t take much to get snow going.
We’re still expecting a more widespread snow event over the weekend. We’re targeting Friday night into Saturday for light snow to overspread the region and this will setup a frigid close to the year and open to 2018.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 1″ to 3″
- Rainfall: 0.00″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/27/snow-chances-cold-only-grows-colder/
Highlights:
- Wet snow today
- New snow maker for Christmas Eve
- Turning bitterly cold
Festive Forecast…Rain changed to wet snow for northwestern ‘burbs between 4a-5a and the transition from wet to white will continue to progress southeast through the morning. A period of heavy, wet snow will fall through mid and late morning before precipitation begins to taper off. Our going snowfall forecast from yesterday continues to work with this event (for most it’s a slushy coating to 1″ in and around Indianapolis, increasing to a couple inches north). We experienced our high temperature for the day shortly after midnight.
Attention will then quickly shift to a new snow maker arriving Christmas Eve. The day will start dry, but snow will quickly develop as we progress into the afternoon. At times, snow will come down at a moderate clip and provide a classic setting for your festivities tomorrow evening. (We’ll have a fresh discussion posted later this afternoon for this event). Travel safely and leave extra time to reach your destination, as snow will accumulate on roadways. Additionally, we’ll add wind into the mix tomorrow night into Christmas Day with fresh cold air advection.
Speaking of Christmas, if you’re anticipating Santa to deliver outdoor gifts, you’ll want to plan to bundle up as you head out to enjoy the new toys. It’ll be a dry, but very cold Christmas.
Cold will remain the weather word to sum up next week and we’ll target the end of next week for the potential next winter event. It’s a busy, fun pattern if you like winter!
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 3″ – 5″
- Rainfall: 0.00″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/23/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas/
Highlights:
- Mild open to winter
- Christmas weekend snow
- Cold returns
Pleasant Open To Winter…It’s a state divided today as clouds dominate across northern portions while the majority of central and southern IN will enjoy plenty of Vitamin D! It’ll also be unseasonably mild today and Friday as a southerly air flow returns in advance of an approaching cold front. That cold front will deliver spotty showers Friday and an area of low pressure will track along the boundary Saturday. This will result in more widespread rain overspreading the region Friday night into the day Saturday. As colder air begins to filter into the region, we’re still thinking a narrow band of wet snow will develop along the northern shield of precipitation Saturday morning.
Turning our attention to Christmas Eve shows upper level energy moving across the Ohio Valley and this will likely result in an expanding area of snow across the region. If trends continue, we’ll have to bust out the first snowfall map of the season Friday morning. Are you dreaming of a White Christmas?
A cold pattern will engulf the region next week and we’ll await the middle and latter portions of the week for the potential of additional wintry mischief. From this distance, it appears this very well may be a significant event.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 1″ – 3″
- Rainfall: 0.25″ – 0.50″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/21/welcome-back-winter/
Highlights:
- Dry midweek
- Rain changes to snow
- Turning bitter
Changes Await…The midweek stretch will feature dry and unseasonably mild conditions. A storm system will deluge the Tennessee Valley today, but will be too far south to impact our weather. We’ll shift our air flow around from the northeast today to more of a southerly direction Thursday afternoon. This is in advance of our next storm system that will deliver showers as we wrap up the last work week before Christmas.
While confidence is beginning to increase in the evolution of things as we head into Christmas weekend, important details are still a bit “iffy” and will require additional fine tuning over the next day, or so. With that disclaimer, here’s how we see things playing out:
A cold front will slip southeast Friday night and a surface low will move northeast along the boundary Saturday. The general consensus this morning is that this wave of low pressure will track further southeast when compared to yesterday’s data. This would yield a colder solution, locally, and subsequent faster changeover to a period of wet snow Saturday. In fact, if trends continue, we may have to bust out the first snowfall map of the season for Saturday. Hope for a White Christmas is very much alive and kicking.
MUCH colder air will drill southeast Christmas Eve and with enough upper level energy in place, we forecast an additional period of snow and snow showers Christmas Eve. Bitterly cold temperatures will take control for Christmas and into early next week.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 1″ – 2″
- Rainfall: 0.25″ – 0.50″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/20/mild-air-on-borrowed-time-turning-wintry/
Highlights:
- Unseasonably mild for now
- Dry midweek
- Turning colder and wintry as Christmas approaches
Bottle It Up…By this time next week, most will want to go back in time to the unseasonably pleasant December weather we’re currently experiencing. If you’re one of these individuals, it’s too bad you just can’t bottle it up for the frigid times that loom.
The short-term period will continue to be dominated by relatively quiet conditions given the time of year. A storm system will pass to our south Wednesday and provide the Tennessee Valley a good soaking. We’ll turn cooler for midweek, but remain well above seasonal averages.
A cold front will move towards the region as we wrap up the work week. This will deliver showers Friday into Saturday before colder air results in a potential transition to wet snow Saturday. Thereafter, details remain sketchy (at best), but overall confidence is increasing in at least some snow falling during the Christmas Eve – Christmas morning period.
Models are struggling with a second piece of energy that will blow through prior to the big cold blast next week. Typical model biases are showing themselves this morning (more progressive GFS versus the more amplified European and Canadian). The best idea at this point is to go with a blend and trend towards a period of snow developing during the afternoon and evening on Christmas Eve, but please understand we’ll have to fine tune things over the next few days. The other item to consider is that it won’t take much upper energy at all to ring out any available moisture as the arctic intrusion arrives.
Regardless of whether we enjoy Christmas snow or not, the period next week into early parts of 2018 looks particularly cold (at times bitterly so) with additional winter weather opportunities. Snow removal companies might want to begin stocking up on the coffee!
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 1″
- Rainfall: 0.50″ – 0.75″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/19/mild-now-but-the-deep-freeze-awaits-christmas-snow/
Highlights:
- Light showers later today
- Mostly quiet weather week awaits
- Much colder as Christmas nears
Sunday Showers…A weak weather system is approaching the state as we type this forecast update. That system will deliver light showers through the afternoon hours, but this won’t be a major weather event by any stretch of the imagination- more of a nuisance than anything.
Our next “event” will come Tuesday night in the form of a dry frontal passage. This will trend us cooler Wednesday, but still above seasonal norms. Quiet times will persist with sunshine through midweek, allowing last minute shoppers (no finger pointing here :-)) to at least not have any weather worries as they finish checking off the list!
A more significant cold front will approach as we close the work week. This will provide showers and gusty winds, followed by a colder feel late in the day.
Looking ahead towards Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, confidence continues to remain high on a much colder pattern taking hold. However, it’s purely speculative at this point whether we’ll be enjoying “white” for the big day. Stay tuned.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 0.00″
- Rainfall: 0.20″ – 0.40″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/17/mild-and-relatively-quiet-week-before-cold-changes-for-christmas/
Highlights:
- “Can’t beat it” weather for mid-December
- Raw second half of the weekend
- Changes loom
Great Open To The Weekend…High pressure and a relatively mild southwest flow will help boost temperatures to near 50° Saturday afternoon, complete with plentiful sunshine. We will note an increasingly gusty southwest breeze late in the day.
The second half of the weekend will feature an increasingly wet period, along with a “raw” feel. Rainfall amounts won’t be particularly impressive, but rain gear will be required on the way out to church Sunday morning.
High pressure will quickly build back in thereafter and remain in control of our work week weather. A nice stretch of pleasant conditions (by mid-December standards) will prevail, including plentiful sunshine. Enjoy it as big changes loom.
The all-important Christmas-New Years period is growing ever closer and data continues to suggest we should gear up for busy times in the forecast office. An active pattern looms, including one that will trend progressively colder.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: 0.00″
- Rainfall: 0.10″ – 0.25″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/15/unseasonably-pleasant-open-to-the-weekend/
Highlights:
- Northern IN snow
- Weekend moderation
- Showers early next week
Majority Of Snow To Our North, Northeast…A fast moving northwest flow will continue to zip upper air disturbances across the Plains into the Great Lakes and northeast. As has been the case for the past week, central IN will remain too far south to benefit in the snow department from these systems. A light shower is possible this afternoon with gusty winds followed by a couple of light snow showers this evening as the cold returns. If your travels take you to north-central IN or into Ohio, you’ll be more likely to encounter slick roads.
A skinny lake effect snow band may set up shop overnight into early Thursday. Unlike the past event, this would favor west-central parts of the state.
We’ll wrap up the work week on a mostly dry note and that theme will continue as we open the weekend. A milder southwest push of air will send temperatures to slightly above average levels this weekend and we’ll introduce showers into our forecast early next week.
Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:
- Snowfall: Dusting
- Rainfall: 0.25″ – 0.40″
Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/12/13/weekend-moderation/
