Steve Carpenter wrote:We're under all sorts of warnings and advisories - have cut & paste a brief synopsis of the NWS forecast discussion below. Has not gotten out of the upper 20's here today. I've lived in this area most of my life and have to say this has the makings of a classic ice storm from near NC/SC border in Tryon and continuing up the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge - so Tryon/Saluda>Lake Lure>Marion>Morganton>Lenoir>Mt. Airy. Winston Salem might get slammed. The higher elevations should be OK with inversion limiting icing time.
THE UPSHOT OF THIS IS THAT WE SHOULD SEE QPF AMOUNTS WELL OVER AN
INCH ACROSS THE HEART OF THE COLD AIR DAMMING REGION. COUPLE A
COLDER AND BETTER MAINTAINED LOW LEVEL AIRMASS WITH HEAVIER PCPN
RATES AND THE ICE STORM IS LOOKING MUCH MORE LIKELY AND POTENTIALLY
QUITE DAMAGING.
ONE CONCERN IS THAT THE MODELS ARE TAKING THE SFC LOW TOO FAR INTO
THE COLD AIR. IF THE LOW VERIFIES FARTHER SOUTH...AND IF THE HEAVY
RAINFALL DOESN/T BRING DOWN TOO MUCH WARM AIR...THEN DAMAGING ICE
ACCUMULATIONS COULD HAPPEN FARTHER SOUTH...INCLUDING IN THE
CHARLOTTE METRO AREA.
I agree...the makings of a significant ice storm are beginning to become very apparent. However, I suspect this storm is going to move much farther south than you're anticipating. Even parts of Georgia are under an Ice Storm Warning....and all of Atlanta is now under a Winter Wx Advisory.
I've lived here 38 years....I've seen my share of these CAD events, and I know how they go. The really bad ones aren't even forecast for us...and we get hit like a sledgehammer.
I hope I'm wrong....because the last one that went down like that in January 2000, I ended up with the tops of two pines coming through the roof of my house, and falling on my car. Price tag: just shy of $15k for roof and auto repairs.
Don't need a repeat at all, and now I am becoming a bit concerned.
We want snow...or cold rain. Not ICE.
Jen