Tuesday, December 25, 2012

36 Hour Forecast...

Here's a look at how things will shape up in the area for the next 36 hours...




You need to know all counties in the blog will be under a Winter Weather Advisory starting tomorrow morning.  Be safe as you go back to work or shop the after Christmas sales!

Snow On The Way...

Good Afternoon and Merry Christmas!

I hope that you got everything you wanted in your stocking.  I also hope that you remember friends and family and those who may be not as well off as you or have lost loved ones during the holiday season.

The clouds in my summary didn't stay as I thought they would, it's sunny here this afternoon in Jackson.  We'll see clouds start to redevelop as the evening wears on, all of this in advance of a low and a frontal system this is currently causing headaches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  Unlike in the Deep South, our precipitation will be of the snow variety, and we look to pick up more than a couple of inches.

SUMMARY:  The National Weather Service has issued Winter Weather Advisories for every county in the blog.  The pre-christmas event, we escaped with mostly rain, but picking up a coating to an inch of snow.  This time, we are firmly on the cold side of the low, so we'll pick up some snow.  Temperatures are right around freezing, and there they shall stay for the next several days, until next week when we see temperatures struggle to break 30 degrees.

SNOW:  Forecast modeling suggests that we start to see snow late tomorrow morning or shortly after lunch as you hit the after Christmas sales.  We'll see snow start in the southern tier of counties and spread north and east.  We keep the snow around for the balance of the day, and it should be gone by pre-dawn on Thursday.  When it's all done, most places should have a new 3 to 6 inches of snow on the ground.  I think that the north zone of the blog will be closer to 3-4 inches as opposed to the south zone,

Directly to the forecast for Jackson and vicinity.

Tonight, increasing clouds, cold, perhaps some flurries or light snow, especially south, nighttime lows roll back to 23, wind NE increasing 10-15 MPH.

Wednesday, cloudy skies, snow developing late morning or early afternoon from south to north.  Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Wednesday, high 30, wind NE increasing to 15-30 MPH.

Wednesday night, Winter Weather Advisory continues snow continuing under cloudy skies, tapering off late.  Accumulation could be as much as 6" in some areas, 2 to 4 inches in Jackson, up to three inches in Lansing.  Lows drop to 22.  Winds NE 5-10 MPH.

Thursday, cloudy skies, any lingering flurries will taper off by lunchtime, high 31, winds NNW 4-8 MPH.

I am working on the six day forecast for you, I hope you have a great evening!  Be safe!




Christmas Snapshot

It's Christmas Eve...

My little one is sound asleep with her Santa Trap all set - sleigh bells on the bottom of the tree.  Sneaky ol' Santa will slip in and out, quiet as can be though.  I hope your Christmas is filled with joy and wonder as well!
 
We got some snow around here to make it a White Christmas this year.  The road conditions as a result aren't much fun though.  Untreated roads were slippery, both stopping and starting.  Use caution if you travel to relatives for dinner tomorrow, as you may still have some slick spots, especially on back roads.  Let's look and see what's running under the hood:

CHRISTMAS DAY:  We'll see mainly cloudy skies, with perhaps a couple of breaks for a brief cameo or two of sun.  Temperatures will stick close to the freezing mark.  The good news is no more snow expected for the moment.  More on that below. Judging by the amount of snow on the car before cleaning it to depart from work, we got about an inch to an inch and a half of snow, i'll need to look at some reports to get an official total for you.  Late Christmas night into Wednesday morning, some changes are definitely in the cards.

HUMP DAY & BEYOND:  We hold temperatures in the 30's, snow chances go up Wednesday afternoon, and we may see two to four inches of snow in Jackson.  North zone areas should stay right around three inches or less, but the far south counties of Branch, Hillsdale and Lenawee could see snow totals over four inches.  A surface low is forecast to track though Louisiana, clip Alabama, then turn left and head northeast.  We'll be on the cold side of the system this time, so we won't get a pass on the snow as we basically did over the weekend.  After that slides off to the east, not much sun, a chance at snow pretty much every day for the next week, and real cold on the way, with forecast models suggesting daytime highs only in the 20's next week.

I will put a forecast up for you later this Christmas Day.  Enjoy it!

Friday, December 21, 2012

First Day Of Winter, With Wrap & Tackle Snowfall...

Good Morning!

Welcome to the first day of Winter!  Winter Solstice arrived at 6:12 AM EST, and we have the weather to back up the calendar!  The low is pushing through the state at this hour, bringing copious snow to the northwest part of Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.  Here, we have primarily a lot of wind-driven snow, making it seem more intense than it actually is.  Most areas in South Central Michigan will see their snow totals cap around 2".  We are on the colder back side of the system now, hence the name wrap & tackle snow...it's wrapping around the colder back part of the low and falling on us.

The National Weather Service continues a Winter Weather Advisory for all parts of the blog.  The advisory expires at 7 PM, except for Livingston, Shiawassee, Washtenaw, and Lenawee counties, where it extends until midnight, hence the midnight information on the forecast graphics.

Here's my forecast for today:



Looking ahead, we'll see winds further diminish to 7-15 MPH from the northwest, along with some clearing skies.  Temperature wise, we stay seasonably chilly.  Average high temperature this time of year is right around 31 degrees, and we stay in the ball park, with highs between 34 and 29.  You can expect cold for the next several days as west and northwest breezes will be blowing over a fresh snowpack, chilling that air even further.  Regarding precipitation, we should be done until another disturbance comes through that may create a bit of snow for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We'll see about that as we get into the weekend.

Have a great Friday!  Blessings!