As we put the last storm behind us and into the history books, another storm is on the horizon. This system is fairly different from the last one, with more warm air aloft moving in as the storm pulls through. The primary low will ride through the Great Lakes, while a secondary will form off the Delmarva coast. This setup will give us snow at first, then changing to a freezing rain, and then to all rain by the afternoon. It will surely be a day of extremes as we will see everything fall out of the sky (even cats and dogs).

Here are some maps to help sort out the time-frame of this storm:

1 AM Tuesday:

 

Well, that’s all for now on this storm. I will be giving updates as the weekend progresses. I will have no comment on how this storm will affect the schools. This will come on either late Saturday or Sunday.

Well, our first storm of 2011 has pulled away into New England, leaving us with sunny skies. The snow totals increased the further up the I-95 corridor you went. The storm was a quick hitter, with the snow falling for only 8-9 hours. Snow rates reached 2-3 inches per hour during the height of the storm, which accounted for most of the totals. At my house in Bucks County, I received a little under 8 inches of snow.

Here are some other snow totals:

1. Rocky Hill, Somerset County: 9.0 inches

2. Lawrenceville, Mercer County: 8.0 inches

3. Morrisville, Bucks County: 7.9 inches

4. King of Prussia, Montgomery County: 6.3 inches

5. Philadelphia: 5.2 inches

And here are some pictures in my backyard:

Update: 11:30 PM:

Snow is really starting to band throughout the area and we are seeing isolated 2-3 inch per hour rates. The snow should start to slow down by 4 AM and be totally out of the area by 8 AM. I will have pictures tomorrow morning as I have a day off from school!

Well, parts of the area are already seeing some light snow as the low pressure in the Ohio Valley moves to the east. There have been some changes to the timeframe and totals a little bit. The snow will start a little earlier than I though and probably end a little earlier as well. Also the low in the Ohio Valley has turned out to be a bit stronger, which means that the phase between the coastal low and the Ohio low won’t happen until the storm is practically over New England. This means slightly lower totals for the southern part of the area (Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia). Totals should keep the same in the northeastern areas (Bucks, Mercer, Hunterdon) as these areas will be closer to where the storm phases.

Here are some specific snow total predictions:

1. The City of Chester, Delaware Co.: 3 inches

2. Philadelphia: 4-6 inches

3. Hatboro, Bucks Co. 5-7 inches

4. Trenton, Mercer Co. 8-11 inches

As you can see the totals will go up the more northeast you go.

Here is a live radar image of the storm to keep track as the night progresses:

 

I will have updates as the night progresses….

Hi everyone. I finally have a snow-map set up and ready. This storm will be a New England special with most of the 1 to 2 feet totals happening in Massachusetts and Connecticut. For this area we are looking at a fairly substantial snowstorm with a potential to put down 6-12 inches of snow in one night. My snow map is mostly based off of the NAM computer model released by noaa, but has shades of other model predictions as well. I believe that the battle zone for this storm will be anywhere east of Doylestown to Bordentown area. Every storm ends up doing something unexpected in the end, and right now with the complexity of the timing of the storm and when it will phase makes a surprise very possible tomorrow night.

Timing: The storm should start by 11 PM and wrap up by 11 AMish. The snow will be heaviest during the 3-6 AM time period.

With that said, here is my snow map. I believe my totals are the best estimate of how much will fall tomorrow in the area. If any changes ensue over the next day, I will try and make revisions to the map.

School Closings:

As far as school closings are concerned. I believe any school north of Philadelphia will be closed Wednesday. With the amount of snow that is going to pile by the late morning, I just don’t believe the salt trucks will be able to clear the roads in time. The morning commute Wednesday will be treacherous, so anyone going to work Wednesday, drive slowly and carefully.

Only a few words today cause I’ve been really busy (thanks AP gov). We have a major snowstorm coming I am 100% sure of it. The totals right now are still up in the air but I’d say 6+ inches will fall Tuesday Night into Wednesday. Winter Storm Warnings will be issued tomorrow night and schools will be closed Wednesday and possibly Thursday if we get over a foot of snow. I will post a snow map tomorrow with complete total predictions.

Until then, get ready for another major snowstorm because I guarantee it will look like this on Tuesday Night:

 

I was introduced to a pleasant surprise this afternoon when I found out ANOTHER winter weather advisory was issued for the area. The computer models have placed a last-minute low pressure forming in North Carolina tonight and moving up the coast tomorrow. This means that ANOTHER 2-4 inches of snow will fall in the area Saturday which will cause MORE travel problems and more snow on the ground. THEN, we have the big storm probably coming Tuesday Night into Wednesday which will give us the more significant snow amounts. The next week will be one of the busiest of the season so far, and by Thursday we could have over a foot of snow on the ground.

Snow Projection for Saturday Jan 8th

 

 

 

Hi everyone, I am doing a tiresome late night post about the upcoming Friday storm and the more favorable storm next Wednesday.

Friday Storm: This Friday, a clipper system will move west through the area and eventually phase with a low pressure out to sea. The models haven’t been handling this storm as well as the Post-Christmas storm. Everything has to fit like a jigsaw puzzle for this coastal storm to form: the clipper has to be in the right place at the right time, as well as the low in the Atlantic. From the latest model consensus, I would say a good 2-4 inches of snow will fall on average throughout the area. The northern areas will most likely get more than the southern because at this point, the coastal is expected to form near Cape Cod. I would also expect a Winter Weather Advisory to be posted either tonight or tomorrow.

Travel problems for the Friday storm: There will undoubtedly be traffic problems during the day Friday as the clipper moves through and strengthens in the afternoon. I do not believe any schools will let out early, but if any increase in snow intensity is shown on the models, some schools could let out early.

About the January 12th storm: I am really liking the looks of this storm. Even though some of the computer models have been showing an out to sea scenario, I believe that the setup is perfect for a major snowstorm. I am talking about this early just to give everyone a heads up and to beat the local TV news stations of its coverage. The GFS has been showing a major snowstorm and the EURO has been going back and forth. I would say the best chance for any schools being closed this season will be for the storm next Wednesday. Even though this is a bold statement, I really feel that the setup is perfect for a Nor Easter next week. I will be posting more about this storm as more details are ironed out.

Sorry guys, no pictures today, I’ve been very busy with school and the works. Tomorrow if I have time, I’ll post a snow map of Friday’s storm and more details of next Wednesday’s Nor Easter.