mid atlantic snow projections and dangerously cold Sunday!!!

[WXBUFFJIM]

Just updating you folks on this winter storm coming for the Mid Atlantic starting Saturday midday and lasting into Saturday night and early Sunday morning. While Saturday morning will start out ok for BWI and Baltimore City, after about noon time all bets are off in north central Maryland as conditions are expected to worsen quite rapidly. The following is forecast maps here http://community.webshots.com/album/255662789RgcvtO

depicting that snow will develop around midday Saturday and linger through Saturday night and possibly even into Sunday morning if the coastal low brings in some additional moisture. However the key to this forecast is the later we go into Saturday and into Sunday morning, the worse it gets because not only will snow be a factor, but strong winds with gusts of 35-40 mph Saturday night into Sunday. This should result in near white out conditions at times from DC and Baltimore and up through Philly and New York as well. There will also be dangerous wind chills Saturday night into Sunday as temperatures fall into the teens and struggle to reach 20 on Sunday. With the winds, wind chills could be 5-15 degrees below zero Sunday morning. So dangerous cold coming up also.

As for total snow accumulations, expect 8-12 inches in Baltimore City points north to the Mason Dixon line from midday Saturday through about Sunday morning. Expect 6-8 inches at BWI and 5-8 inches at Reagan National in Washington. Some of the heaviest snow may fall from Philly up to New York City where 12-18 inches is a possibility with strong winds to boot. Near blizzard conditions maybe the result especially Saturday night into Sunday.

Jim

[BlizzardNole]

Nicely done! I will be very happy if you are right. Over in your area you have the better chance from getting a little wrap-around snow from the secondary.

[WXBUFFJIM]

It seems like that alone will enhance the totals and based on that, I say most areas of north central Maryland will see near or over a foot of snow with this storm. Best bet is to stay off the roads after midday tomorrow and deal with it until it's over later Sunday. While the snow will end by Sunday morning, a foot of snow is likely to be on the ground. This combined with wind gusts of 35-40 mph will result in blowing snow and near blizzard conditions even after the snow ends. New model data streaming into me depicts the coastal will likely turn the corner and affect New York and Boston with very heavy snow of 1-2 feet likely and near blizzard conditions Saturday night into Sunday. This situation maybe so serious that blizzard warnings will potentially be issued for some of the big cities of the northeast and possibly the mid atlantic. So I stress to everybody to prepare for this major event today and tonight in the big cities. Otherwise stay off the roads tomorrow into tomorrow night as things begin to crank up because this will be a dangerous situation not only from a snow stand point, but blizzard conditions, and brutually cold temps with dangerous wind chill readings.

Here are some estimated snow totals for the big cities with higher drifts due to near blizzard conditions and blowing snow Saturday through Sunday.

Washington DC: 6-10 inches
Baltimore: 8-14 inches
Philadelphia: 10-16 inches
New York: 12-18 inches
Boston 14-24 inches

Jim

[rainstorm]

good luck up there. we will have miserable cold and wind. bring on spring

[Suncat]

What do you see in the way of an ice event for Raleigh, NC. Local mets are all over the place with this. So far this morning I have heard everything from nothing but rain on Saturday to a quarter of an inch of ice. I'm trying to decide if I need to make a beer run befor I go home from work today.

[WXBUFFJIM]

Probably not a bad idea to do that just to be on the safe side. It will likely end as snow late Saturday night into Sunday am. This does include the tidewater area where snow will occur late Saturday night into Sunday morning following rain and mixed precip in both areas.

[Lowpressure]

Well done WX. Amounts seem to be in line with NWS. Looking toward some warnings to be hoisted a little later today. I think we may need to stress the ice issue to the south i.e. Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Charlottesville, maybe up to Fredericksburg. Like the 5-8 at Reagan, will tend to say on the lower side. Very dependent on Low track and coastal low at this point. Coastal low is major key to snowfall being moderate or making this thing huge for D.C. Points north may get huge anyway.

[WXBUFFJIM]

good luck up there. we will have miserable cold and wind. bring on spring

I'll echo that rainstorm after this one is over. Look forward to the daytona 500 in late February!!!! That's a warming feeling isn't it??

[Anonymous]

DCA may well have to deal with substantial snows; however south of DCA there will be mixing IMO.

I may be certifiable, but I stand by my predictions of 2 to 5 inches of snow south of DCA with appreciable mixing in the mid afternoon Saturday which will cut snow accumulations down and also reduce problems such as blowing snow later Saturday night/Sunday.

However I agree WXBUFFJIM about N MD, they are facing a serious situation Saturday into Sunday with 8 to 12 inches of snow and blowing snow issues with very low wind chills.

[adelphi_sky]

Sorry man. I'm snow starved. I need a foot. I'll settle for ten, but then I'll need another storm to satify the foot I didn't get. lol

[Matt31388]

Whats the chance of the low dropping further south and bringing Kentucky a good share of that snowfall?