Category: Forecast

Jan 03

Bitterly Cold Air Returns…

screen-shot-2017-01-03-at-4-31-46-pmHighlights:

  • Turning much colder tonight
  • Light snow Thursday
  • Bitterly cold, but dry weekend

The Ice Box Returns…An arctic cold front will sweep through the state tonight and help usher in a drastically colder feel as we progress through the middle and latter parts of the week.  Left over rain showers this evening may end as a couple of snow flurries before precipitation comes to an end.  Winds will really increase tonight behind the cold front, gusting between 30 and 40 MPH.  This will lead to single digit wind chill values out the door Wednesday morning.

Our next weather disturbance arrives Thursday morning and will help spread light snow across the southern half of the state.  Snow will continue into the early afternoon before departing off to the east.  Light accumulations (around 1″) will be possible, especially from Indianapolis and points south.  We’ll keep an eye on fresh data coming into the forecast office tonight and update if need be.

Otherwise, the big story going into the weekend will be the return of bitterly cold air.  In fact, overnight lows will drop into the single digits Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Dress warmly if you have plans to be outside for any length of time.

Our air flow will back around to the southwest early next week and temperatures will begin to moderate.  Moisture may make it to the surface to create a little spotty freezing drizzle Monday evening before temperatures sky-rocket to around 50 Tuesday as showers return.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 1.00″
  • Rainfall:  0.25″ – 0.50″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/01/03/bitterly-cold-air-returns/

Jan 01

Turning Colder After A Wet Open To The Week…

screen-shot-2017-01-01-at-7-25-02-pmHighlights:

  • Unsettled open to the week
  • Turning colder Tuesday
  • Couple snow chances, but low confidence

Wet Open To The Week…Clouds waited to increase until after sunset Sunday and the more than expected sunshine led to a downright beauty of a kickoff to 2017, complete with mild temperatures.  Unfortunately, those pleasant conditions won’t last as we deal with increasing coverage of showers and perhaps a thunderstorm Monday.  Rain coverage appears greatest during the evening into the nighttime hours.

An arctic cold front will sweep through the state Tuesday afternoon and lead to a dramatic temperature plunge for the rest of the week.  Showers Tuesday will end as a touch of wet snow before precipitation moves out.

Forecast models are still struggling with handling Pacific energy for mid and late week.  This is leading to a lower than normal confidence level with two potential systems Thursday and again Saturday.  For now, we’re eyeing the threat of light snow with both and believe modeling will come around to more of a weather maker once time draws closer.  Stay tuned.  Cold weather remains as we progress through next weekend.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 1″ – 3″
  • Rainfall: 0.50″ – 1.00″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2017/01/01/turning-colder-after-a-wet-open-to-the-week/

Dec 30

Busy 7-Day To Usher In 2017…

screen-shot-2016-12-30-at-7-18-25-pmHighlights:

  • Raw New Year’s Eve
  • Briefly milder Monday with showers
  • Snow prospects mid week

Busy Times…Clouds will increase late tonight and give way to showers during the daytime New Year’s Eve.  Most of this shower activity will be light, but you’ll want to carry the rain gear with you as you leave for New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations throughout central IN.  Once to the nighttime hours, showers should diminish and most of the nighttime should feature rain-free conditions, along with colder temperatures.

New Year’s Day may start out with some sunshine, but clouds will increase through the day and drizzle or light rain is possible by evening.  Low pressure will track northeast from the central Plains into the upper Mid West Monday.  This will place Indiana in a relatively warm southwest flow.  Periods of showers can be expected through the day, along with breezy conditions.  An accompanying cold front will sweep through the state early Tuesday morning and shut rain chances off, shift winds to the northwest, and lead to falling temperatures.

Wednesday will be a day in between storm systems.  Cold high pressure will settle into the Ohio Valley and supply unseasonably chilly temperatures, but with sunshine.

Our next storm system will approach Thursday.  Clouds will increase Wednesday night and give way to an expanding snow shield during the day Thursday.  We still have a few days to look at things, but from this distance, the potential is present for an impactful wintry event across a widespread portion of the Ohio Valley, including central Indiana.  Stay tuned.  Fresh arctic air will move in to put a close on yet another short work week.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

Snowfall: 1″ – 3″

Rainfall:  0.75″ – 1.25″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/30/busy-7-day-to-usher-in-2017/

Dec 29

Intense Snow Squalls By Evening…

One cold front moved through central Indiana last night with rain showers and a notable wind shift.  A secondary cold front will sweep through the region later this afternoon.  Not only will this deliver reinforcing cold air to wrap up the short work week, but with enough upper level energy and instability, it’ll also serve to ignite some intense snow squalls by evening.  This won’t be a “uniform” snow event, but where the squalls develop, expect rapid reduction in visibility (brief white-out conditions), and a quick coating to 1″ of snow.  Winds will also gust to 40 MPH by evening and overnight.

Here’s an idea of what the radar may look like later this evening:

4p forecast radar

4p forecast radar

6p forecast radar

6p forecast radar

10p forecast radar

10p forecast radar

If you have travel plans this evening into tonight, please allow extra time to reach your destination as these intense snow squalls lead to brief white-outs and quickly create slick travel.  Scattered snow showers will continue into Friday morning, especially across the northern and eastern sections of the state.  Friday will be a cold day as highs top out around 30.

More with an updated 7-day forecast later today!

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/29/intense-snow-squalls-by-evening/

Dec 28

Snow Squalls Thursday Evening; Active Pattern…

screen-shot-2016-12-28-at-10-18-11-amHighlights:

  • Showers this evening
  • Snow squalls develop Thursday evening
  • Active weather pattern into next week

Early Sun Gives Way To Showers By Evening…A sunny, frosty start to the day will give way to an increasingly cloudy sky by afternoon and scattered showers by evening.  Latest data suggests showers arrive into central Indiana by 6-7p.  This won’t be a significant rain maker, but just enough to create damp conditions as we put a wrap on Wednesday.

A reinforcing push of cold air will blow through Thursday evening.  With enough instability and upper air energy, scattered heavy snow squalls will become likely across the region by afternoon into the evening.  This won’t be a “uniform” snow event, but some localized accumulation (thinking a coating to less than 1″ in spots), along with dramatic drops in visibility can be expected by evening as these scattered snow squalls increase in coverage.  Additionally, winds will gust to 40 MPH and will aid in creating hazardous travel at times tomorrow PM.  Scattered snow showers will continue into the day Friday.

Moving forward, we continue to eye the potential of a light wintry mix arriving on New Year’s Eve.  As of now, this doesn’t appear to be a big deal, but we’ll monitor things as new data streams in.  “Light” is the key word for now and temperatures look marginal, at best, for wintry issues.

As we rumble into next week, model consistency and overall agreement is rather non-existent.  This leads to a lower than normal confidence on the important details in regards to the early week storm system (and looking forward, towards a second storm coming along just beyond the current forecast period).  For now we’ll go with showers Monday afternoon paving way to more widespread rain Tuesday.  As colder air rushes in Tuesday night, precipitation will change to snow along with a strengthening northwest wind and an increasingly bitter feel by the middle of next week.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 1″ – 2″
  • Rainfall: 0.50″ – 1.00″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/28/snow-squalls-thursday-evening-active-pattern/

Dec 26

Unseasonably Warm; Wet Day After Christmas…

screen-shot-2016-12-26-at-8-33-12-amHighlights:

  • Unseasonably warm today
  • Showers and perhaps a t-storm by lunchtime
  • Turning more seasonable later this week

Wet At Times Today…A cold front will push across the state later this afternoon.  Ahead of the front, a warm southwesterly air flow will lead to a spring-like feel on this day after Christmas.  Coverage of showers will increase by late morning and around lunchtime, including the possibility of an embedded thunderstorm.  Once the front sweeps through the region, our winds will flip to the northwest and result in a cooler feel as early as tonight.  Tuesday will feature much more seasonable conditions.

Reinforcing chilly air will blow into town Thursday afternoon and with enough upper level energy around, we’ll mention scattered snow showers in our forecast.  Colder weather will be with us to close the week and head into New Year’s weekend.

Speaking of New Year’s, we still eye a storm system around New Year’s Eve.  Confidence is low in the overall set-up in regards to storm track and timing and fine tuning will be required.  For now, we’ll simply go with a developing light wintry mix Saturday and “sure up” the details later this week.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: Dusting
  • Rainfall: 0.50″ – 0.75″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/26/unseasonably-warm-wet-day-after-christmas/

Dec 24

Merry Christmas Eve…

screen-shot-2016-12-24-at-8-03-42-amHighlights:

  • Areas of fog
  • Rising temperatures Christmas night
  • Turning more seasonable next week

Ah, Christmas Eve…From our home to yours, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season.  It’s hard to believe Christmas Eve is upon us.  Despite areas of fog and an overcast, chilly day, weather really won’t present much of a challenge, locally, for travelers or last-minute shoppers (surely we don’t have any of those in central IN).  😉  Rudolph will be needed tonight as areas of fog and low clouds remain across portions of the state.

Conditions will remain damp and chilly into Christmas as most of the day remains in the 30s.  Our air flow will shift to the south Christmas afternoon and provide a late day boost on the thermometer into the 40s after dark and near 50 by midnight.  As we see the southerly wind erode the chilly conditions in place we’ll also have to be on the look out for a passing shower Christmas afternoon.

Better shower coverage will push in ahead of the cold front Monday morning.  An embedded clap of thunder is also possible.  Winds will shift to the NW with the passage of the cold front Monday afternoon and cooler air will spill into central IN Monday night. That high you see in the upper 50s will come just prior to the frontal passage.

After the mild start Monday, seasonable temperatures will return next week.  Models are struggling with handling a piece of energy the middle of next week.  We’ll keep an eye on it over the next day or so.  Scattered snow showers will likely accompany a push of colder air Thursday.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: Dusting
  • Rainfall: 0.50″-0.75″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/24/merry-christmas-eve/

Dec 19

Frigid Open To The Week; Wet Christmas?

screen-shot-2016-12-19-at-8-58-45-amHighlights:

  • Bitterly cold to open the week
  • Mid week snow chances
  • Wet Christmas

Bundle Up…The frigid theme of December 2016 continues as overnight lows dipped to between 3 and 6 below zero for most central IN reporting sites.  By the way, IND is running (6) degrees below average, month-to-date.  Needless to say, December 2016 (top) is nothing like December 2015 (bottom).

conus_mtd_t2max_anom_2016

conus_mtd_t2max_anom_2015

Though still chilly, temperatures will moderate into mid week before our next system rolls in.  Clouds will increase Wednesday and give way to a chance of snow showers Wednesday night into Thursday morning as upper level energy rotates overhead.  Models likely will have to play “catch up” again with this mid week system and we’ll keep a close eye on data.

As we look at Christmas, itself, a warmer regime looks to build in, courtesy of a southwest flow.  This is in response to the southeast ridge flexing it’s muscle and driving a rather intense storm system northwest through the Plains states.  Blizzard conditions will likely result northwest of the low track while showers and thunderstorms develop in the warm sector, including the MS Valley into the Ohio Valley.  We’ll introduce a chance of thunderstorms into our Christmas Day forecast, as well.

Longer-term, a rather significant pattern shift will continue to close the month of December into early January and this will drive a shift from the bitterly cold conditions to much milder times as we open 2017.  Winter fans, have no fear, the seeds are already being planted for a return to frigid and active times just beyond the new year…

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall:  Dusting – 1″
  • Rainfall: 0.50″ – 1.00″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/19/frigid-open-to-the-week-wet-christmas/

Dec 17

Icy Concerns Grow Again Tonight…

After a night of freezing rain, many roadways throughout central IN remain glazed over and hazardous as of this update.  If you absolutely don’t have to travel today, please don’t.  Allow road crews to do their job.  Additionally, we have growing concerns of a new round of freezing rain to sleet and eventually snow tonight.  Lingering moisture on roadways will result in “flash freeze” conditions and treacherous travel tonight into Sunday.

First, a tip of the hat to short-term modeling, including the NAM, for suggesting we’d have a very difficult time eroding the shallow arctic air at the surface across most of central IN today.  While we never bought into the mid/ upper 50s idea the GFS and Euro were once suggesting, we did initially think 40s were in store today.  Forget about it.  Mid to potentially upper 30s are the best we can do today and temperatures will crash this evening as not one, but two, arctic fronts push through central IN.  Even if we didn’t have additional precipitation inbound tonight, “flash freeze” conditions would develop from lingering moisture and lead to renewed problems on area roadways.  Throw in another wave of low pressure riding along the pressing arctic front and a whole slew of problems will develop yet again from a freezing and frozen precipitation perspective.

Note the incredible temperature gradient from downstate to central and northern Indiana early this afternoon.

hrrr_t2m_indy_6The heavy, dense, arctic air will win out as evening turns into nighttime.  Indianapolis is back to the freezing mark around 6p and into the 20s by 9p.

hrrr_t2m_indy_10

hrrr_t2m_indy_13Temperatures will continue to fall through the day Sunday and by Monday morning central Indiana will be in the single digits, with below zero readings across northern parts of the state.

hires_t2m_indy_49Wind chill values of 10 to 20 degrees below zero will be common by Sunday night into Monday morning across central Indiana.

gfs_windchill_indy_8Areas of drizzle and freezing drizzle will continue across the region into the early afternoon, but begin to expand in coverage and intensity once again by evening.  Note the area of freezing rain expand across central IN, including Indianapolis, between 4p and 7p.

4p

6p

7pFreezing rain will eventually begin to mix with sleet and eventually transition to light snow during the overnight from northwest to southeast.  A coating of snow to less than 1″ is a good bet on the new icy glaze that develops tonight.

When you factor in the current hazardous conditions in place along with the fresh push of arctic air and precipitation tonight, it’s a good idea to hunker down inside and remain off area roadways.  We have big concerns of new travel problems developing by evening across central Indiana.  By this time tomorrow, our attention will turn to the bitterly cold air and dangerous wind chill values developing.

More later, including prospects of snow around Christmas.  As always, you can follow our updates on social media by following us on Twitter (@indywx) and Facebook.  Stay safe!

 

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/17/icy-concerns-grow-again-tonight/

Dec 15

Active Winter Pattern Rumbles Along…

screen-shot-2016-12-15-at-7-44-16-pmHighlights:

  • Busy weather weekend
  • Fresh shot of bitterly cold air
  • Christmas week snow chances

Buckle Up For A Busy Winter Pattern…Thursday featured the coldest December 15th high (13 degrees) in a whopping 27 years. Talk about impressive.  This was good for an amazing 26 degrees below average.  Let that sink in…

We’ll wrap up the work week and head into the busy weekend before Christmas with a new round of challenges.  A couple of warm fronts will lift north through central IN Friday.  Snow showers may accompany the first warm front early Friday before the second warm front lifts north Friday night.  This will result in more widespread wintry precipitation, likely to begin as a period of light snow before a quick transition to sleet and freezing drizzle during the overnight.  Temperatures will warm overnight Friday and precipitation will change to light rain Saturday morning.  That’s when our attention turns to the first of two cold fronts that will sweep through the state.  The first cold front will lead to a quick changeover to sleet and snow Saturday evening (thinking between 6p-8p as of now).  As a secondary wave of moisture moves northeast along the boundary, expect a light accumulation of snow Saturday night.  The second cold front (arctic) will blow through late Saturday night and early Sunday morning and lead to a frigid Sunday.  That 25 degree high you see Sunday will come at midnight as temperatures crash through the day.  Add in a stiff northwest wind and wind chill values will fall below zero (yet again) in the Sunday-Monday time frame.

We’ll briefly calm things down during the early Christmas week period and remain cold.  Our next storm system is slated for a mid week arrival and could deliver a round of accumulating snow Wednesday night into Thursday morning.  More on that after this weekend system.

Upcoming 7-Day Precipitation Forecast:

  • Snowfall: 2″ – 4″
  • Rainfall: 0.20″ – 0.40″

Permanent link to this article: https://indywx.com/2016/12/15/active-winter-pattern-rumbles-along/

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