Category: 7-Day Outlook

Dec 30

Additional Snow Overnight; Dangerous Cold Grips The Region…

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/additional-snow-overnight-dangerous-cold-grips-the-region/

Dec 28

Accumulating Snow Friday; Dangerous Cold Develops Next Week…

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/accumulating-snow-friday-dangerous-cold-develops-next-week/

Dec 27

Snow Chances; Cold Only Grows Colder…

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/snow-chances-cold-only-grows-colder/

Dec 23

“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…”

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/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas/

Dec 21

Welcome Back Winter!

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/welcome-back-winter/