Category Archives: snow

Client Brief: Impactful Winter Weather Event Sunday Evening Through Monday…

Type: Impactful Winter Weather

What: Accumulating snow; mixed wintry precipitation

When: Sunday evening through Monday

Temperatures: Lower to middle 30s

Wind: East 10 to 15 MPH, shifting to the north Monday night with gusts to 25 MPH

Blowing/ Drifting: Minimal

We continue to closely monitor the potential of an impactful winter weather maker Sunday evening through Monday. Initially, we think “overrunning” precipitation will overspread central Indiana Sunday afternoon and evening. This should fall in the form of snow for most. As the surface low draws closer, precipitation will increase in intensity Sunday night into the day Monday. The all-important track of the surface low appears to take a path from western Arkansas Sunday night, along the Ohio River Monday morning and into western Pennsylvania by Monday night. This is a favorable track for accumulating snow across portions of the state. The map above features our “ridiculously” early idea on best chances where the heavier snowfall will occur (shoveable totals seem like a good bet for places in and around Indianapolis and points north). Downstate, enough warmer air should get pulled into the system for a time Sunday night into Monday morning that a wintry mix of precipitation (sleet, snow, and rain) is expected to cut down snowfall totals. As the storm pulls up to our northeast, gusty northerly winds will develop with lingering snow showers in Monday night, along with colder conditions.

We’ll have an updated video post later this evening and will keep close eyes on data not only today, but straight through the weekend.

Confidence: Medium-High

Next Update: This evening (Video)

Client, ClientBrief, Rain, Sleet, snow, Winter Storm

Something More Meaningful Lurking Around the Corner (From a Wintry Perspective)?

Our December thoughts remain unchanged, and the increasingly active 2nd half of the month will provide challenges. This is in the face of what should still be a relatively mild pattern- or only marginally cold for the most part. This is likely the beginning of the transition towards more sustained cold, wintry times as 2020 gets underway, but there will be a big fight in the midst of the transition.

The first challenge awaits late in the weekend and early next week and today’s model data is in more agreement with the handling of a set of features that may produce a stripe of accumulating snow from the central Plains into the Ohio Valley during the aforementioned time period.

The set-up is one that should feature a surface wave develop in the central Plains (likely TX/ OK panhandle) Saturday afternoon. From there the wave of low pressure will scoot across Arkansas and into the lower Ohio Valley. There are some intriguing details present with this system that have been missing from other systems we’ve seen from late fall into the early portions of meteorological winter: 1.) Timing of the system with at least marginally cold air drilling in behind departing EC system. 2.) Position of the surface high funneling cold air into the system (as opposed to departing as the system arrives). 3.) Overall modeled favorable track.

Now, there are obviously some questions remaining that will have to be answered in the days ahead (always the case when a feature is 6-7 days away), but it’s most certainly something to keep close tabs on as we move forward. As things stand now, I’d monitor the Sunday-Monday time frame for possible wintry impacts across central Indiana.

This has our attention and subsequent updates will follow as we move forward.

The image above isn’t to be taken verbatim, but instead used as an example of how the multiple features at play could come together to potentially lead to an accumulating snow event from the central Plains into the Ohio Valley early next week.
Client, Forecast Discussion, Forecast Models, snow