FORECASTERS FACE A CHALLENGING WEEK AS A RATHER POTENT SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SNOW TO SOME PARTS OF THE EAST COAST BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY

I said it before and I’ll say it again… Another week and yes, another potential for a big storm… Forecasters will once again have their hands full this week as there is yet again the potential for a major winter event for some areas of the eastern part of the nation. The same all too familiar questions have to be answered… What will be the exact track of the low pressure center? Will cold air be in place at the onset of the precipitation? How much cold air will rush in behind the storm system? How much moisture will get entrained into the storm? And there are plenty of other questions that will have to be answered that deal with more complex meteorological issues about this system. It is too early to speculate on this system so you will have to monitor your local forecast as we get closer. I just want to add that there is a sort of glitch with some of the computer models that for whatever reason, lose the system when it is 4 or 5 days out. The models did that with the big post Christmas blizzard and they are doing it again with this storm. Once the system reappears on the forecast weather maps, forecasters will have a much better idea of what will happen. Let’s back up to today (Sunday). We’ll have a sunny and seasonable day with temperatures peaking in the mid to upper 40′s. Some clouds roll in on Monday as a complex weak frontal system approaches the Mid-Atlantic States. As it looks now, Hampton Roads will be caught in between the more significant areas of precipitation so forecasters aren’t expecting a lot of rain here locally Monday night. Then, the focus will turn to the potential system that should begin to impact us either Wednesday night or early Thursday. Stay tuned on this one. No matter how this storm evolves, colder weather seems quite likely for Friday and Saturday with some moderation as we go into next week. Thanks for reading and have a great day!