Below normal temperatures, some snow Thursday night
This period from Christmas to New Years often exposes the definition of winter. They are getting a full dose of winter in the Ohio Valley today with snow, wind and cold. That outslaught will move into Pennsylvania and New York thoughout the day.
Map of active Weather Warnings/Advisories from the National Weather Service. Orange shaded area defines the expectations of Blizzard like conditioins today and tonight.
Source:NWS
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NOAA's satellite image paints the broad circulation pattern early this morning.
Image from 545 a.m. CST. Source NOAA
The surface circulation pattern shows the center of the strong low pressure about to move into eastern Kentucky. This path should put central and northern Ohio in the heart of the snow storm today.
6 a.m. CST surface pressure pattern. Source:NOAA SPC
Surface weather conditions at 615 a.m. CST. Red figures indicate temperatures, Red dot indicates IFR conditions, restricting air line travel to the most experienced pilots. Wind barbs indicate wind speed in knots.
If you have plans to travel by air it might become increasingly difficult to have an ontime flight to the east coast as the day progresses.
To check on possible flight delays at major airports you can go to this link, provided by the FAA.
The RAP models show a massive area of snow later this afternoon, along with convective rainshowers and storms.
RAP valid at 7 p.m. CST today. Source:NOAA
In additon to the snow storm, severe weather is also possible along the mid Atlantic coast.
A number of tornadoes were reported yesterday, in the very unstable air mass from Texas to Alabama.
Details on yesterdays severe weather reports can be found at the SPC site.
Things will stay pretty quiet in our neck of the woods. Some minor snow accumulations are possible on Thursday night.
NAM forecast of precipitation Thursday evening, currently favoring southern Minnesota with a couple of inches of snow. Valid at midnight Thursday night.
Source:NOAA/College of Dupage
NOAA's outlook for January indicates the potential for colder than normal weather to continue.
Odds are also suggest a better chance to get more oportunities for moisture in the first month of 2013.
Craig Edwards