Latest from Sterling NWS….keep tracking Th. and Friday.
Heading into the latter portions of the work week, a great deal of
uncertainty looms regarding the temperature and precipitation
forecast. The mentioned cold front remains over the Carolinas while
the Mid-Atlantic becomes wedged in as high pressure builds to the
north and northwest. As a result, Thursday`s temperatures drop back
into the upper 30s to low 40s. Ensemble temperature plots depict
quite a bit of spread, particularly on the higher end of the
spectrum. As the strong upper trough exits the Four Corners and
migrates toward the Ohio Valley, modest ascent ahead of this feature
will drive additional rounds of precipitation. Depending on the
timing and thermal profiles, some of this may be wintry in nature.
Given the stout surface high to the north, this potential for wintry
precipitation appears reasonable as shown by the guidance. As
southerly warm advection will override the boundary, freezing rain
would be a concern in this pattern. However, a number of details
need to be resolved first. The entire system eventually exits some
time on Friday with possible mountain snow showers on the back
side.