Its 446 pm. We have a solid altostratus overcast. There are darker clouds to the south, moving our way.
Last night we hit 14 degrees.
Today's high temperature was 34 degrees.
It's currently 33 degrees, with a dewpoint of 6 degrees.
Winds are light WSW.
The clouds are thickening and lowering.
Let's assess this weather.........
Please take a gander at this
Mid Atlantic Radar page, and let's check it out.
This area of radar returns has been getting larger all afternoon.
I went outside and looked at the sky........it has that 'looks like its going to snow' look to it. I think there is some virga overhead.
The temperature is 33 degrees, but with that 6-degree dewpoint, evaporative cooling will cause temps to fall, as will cooling after sundown. We had considerable increasing clouds all day today, and I don't think the ground warmed up much. There is ice on local ponds.
I am still thinking--------Probably flurries or very light snow tonight into tomorrow. We could pick up a half-inch of snow.
If you live in central Virginia, you could get an inch.
Looking at
the national radar map, we can see a growing area of precip over the AL, MS, and GA state regions, with a moisture feed off the GOM.
IMHO, the track of this system will be everything! IF this system moves more north............there could be more snow than progged.
However, the arctic air in place IS very dry, and the column will take time to moisten up and allow snow to reach the surface and begin to accumulate.
I got this from the weather.com site....
Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service
...ALBEMARLE VA-ALLEGANY MD-ANNE ARUNDEL MD- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA VA-AUGUSTA VA-BERKELEY WV- CALVERT MD-CARROLL MD-CHARLES MD-CLARKE VA-CULPEPER VA- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DC-FAIRFAX VA-FAUQUIER VA-FREDERICK VA- FREDERICK MD-GRANT WV-GREENE VA-HAMPSHIRE WV-HARDY WV-HARFORD MD- HIGHLAND VA-HOWARD MD-JEFFERSON WV-KING GEORGE VA-LOUDOUN VA- MADISON VA-MINERAL WV-MONTGOMERY MD-MORGAN WV-NELSON VA- NORTHERN BALTIMORE MD-ORANGE VA-PAGE VA-PENDLETON WV- PRINCE GEORGES MD-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK VA- RAPPAHANNOCK VA-ROCKINGHAM VA-SHENANDOAH VA-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE MD- SPOTSYLVANIA VA-ST. MARYS MD-STAFFORD VA-WARREN VA-WASHINGTON MD-
... LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY...
A WEAK STORM SYSTEM MOVING OUT OF THE MIDWEST WILL PASS TO OUR SOUTH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. WITH COLD ARCTIC AIR OVER THE REGION... ANY PRECIPITATION FROM THIS STORM WILL FALL IN THE FORM OF LIGHT SNOW.
THE BEST CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW WILL BE BETWEEN LATE THIS EVENING AND MIDDAY FRIDAY. CENTRAL VIRGINIA HAS THE BEST CHANCE FOR LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND 1 INCH SINCE IT WILL BE CLOSER TO THE PATH OF THE STORM. THE CHANCE OF SNOW LESSENS AS YOU MOVE NORTH TOWARD THE MASON DIXON LINE. UP TO AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN VIRGINIA... MUCH OF MARYLAND AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. NEAR THE PENNSYLVANIA BORDER... LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED.
MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE ON FRIDAY AS ROADWAYS WILL BE SLIPPERY IN SPOTS WHERE ANY SNOW ACCUMULATES....
I would advise folks who live in Virginia: If you are going to drive tonight- be careful............our surface ground temps are cold, it was cold last night and it will be falling into the low 20s tonight. ANY snow----light or otherwise----will stick and will make roads slippery.
This is my humble opinion----I do not think this is going to be anything significant----but let's keep an eye out anyway. This pattern is conducive to anything happening, but I still think N VA will see a few flurries, to possibly half an inch, and I am
emphasizing the few flurries for N VA.
Around the Mid Atlantic, sometimes you never know what will happen.......
-ARCTIC BLAST JEB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!