Snow...really?? (10-24-11)
(WSYR-TV, Syracuse)
Ah yes, the first snowflakes were introduced into the forecast today. It really isn’t too far of a stretch, we’re going to see cold air descend southward from Canada starting Tuesday. Denver, Colorado hit 80° Monday, and by Wednesday, several inches of snow are possible there.We’ll have two opportunities to see snow; one during the day Thursday and another during the day Saturday.Saturday’s event is a bit convoluted as to how it will unfold. We’re going to need a couple of days to hammer out the details, and we’ll certainly have more as we go through the week.Thursday’s snow chance is looking more and more plausible. Here’s how it’s going to happen. After a dry Tuesday, rain will move into our area Tuesday night. We’ll be in and out of rain as an area of low pressure slides over CNY Wednesday. I’ve included a surface weather map for Wednesday morning, so you can get an idea of what’s going on.
That wavy front that extends from the low pressure area over Lake Erie, southwestward into north Texas, will be the focus for additional areas of low pressure to form, and travel northeastward toward us. Incidentally, you can see the low pressure area bringing the snowstorm to Colorado.So, how do we arrive at snow? We think a cold front will slide to our south following the passage of Wednesday’s rain-maker. At this point, the million dollar question is how far south does that front move? It’ll be a delicate interplay between the cold air coming south from Canada and the position of the moisture along that cold front. As I write this Monday night, it seems reasonable that there will be enough moisture around so that we will at the very least see some snow mix in with the rain, especially over higher elevations. I tell you what. Even if we don’t see snow, expect a chilly, raw day, with occasional rain and temperatures only in the low 40s.
I’m sure I’ll have more Thursday.
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