Hello, weather blog readers —
Our next winter storm is set to move in overnight and early tomorrow morning! This comes a little more than a month after our historical snow event in early January.
The winter storm warning goes into effect at midnight, lasting through 9 p.m. Wednesday.
TODAY
Expect dry but cloudy and cold conditions, with temperatures only reaching the upper 20s. Wind chills will also hold in the teens.
A brisk northerly wind will make it feel very cold through Thursday.
WEDNESDAY — SNOWSTORM DETAILS
Snow is expected to begin around midnight tonight, with persistent and heavier snow starting around 4 a.m. The snow will be heavy at times until 2 p.m. before tapering off by 5-8 p.m.
During the snowfall, a northeasterly wind of 10 to 20 mph will cause reduced visibility and wind chills in the single digits. The combination of rapidly accumulating snow, blowing snow and frigid temperatures means travel should be avoided, if possible.
You can check for cancellations or delays here.
Our accumulation forecast was increased Monday morning to 4-7 inches for — essentially — the entire area. But the latest model guidance and trends from overnight and this morning are consistently showing less amounts due to a weaker storm.
We will take this into account and refine this throughout the day. Please check back for updates.
As of this morning, a range of 3-6 inches of snow looks likely.
THURSDAY
Some melting is possible on Thursday, especially on roads where sunshine can help melt away snow. Temperatures are still well below freezing — near zero in the morning and around 20 in the afternoon.
FRIDAY
On Friday, we begin to warm above freezing in the afternoon, with temperatures staying above freezing into Saturday morning. Some melting is expected on Friday, and any amount will help as more accumulation is possible on Saturday.
SATURDAY
Another storm system is developing, bringing rain Saturday morning, changing to a wintry mix, then to snow. The wild card with this system will be how quickly temperatures fall below freezing and when the transition to precipitation type occurs.
A faster change to all snow will lead to greater snow accumulation but may also cause a flash freeze on roads. This means any liquid on the roads could quickly turn to ice. Any untreated roads on Saturday are susceptible to this happening Saturday evening.
Let's get through Wednesday's snowstorm first, then we will assess the severity of Saturday's potential event.
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