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2nd Annual Snow Thread for the Mountains


Met1985

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Also with the moisture working in early and temps in the mid to upper 20s freezing rain seems to be an issue this morning.

 

SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
TRANSYLVANIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHEROKEE...BRYSON CITY...WAYNESVILLE...
SYLVA...FRANKLIN...BREVARD
117 AM EST THU JAN 2 2014

...PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING...

PATCHY LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS
OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA BY 4 AM. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD
CONTINUE TO SLOWLY WARM ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...SOME
SHELTERED VALLEY LOCATIONS COULD SEE TEMPERATURES REMAIN AROUND
FREEZING THROUGH SUNRISE. THIS MAY RESULT IN A BRIEF PERIOD OF
FREEZING RAIN...AND PERHAPS A FEW SLICK SPOTS ON ROADS AND OTHER
SURFACES THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM ABOVE FREEZING BY
THE TIME HEAVIER PRECIPITATION MOVES IN LATER THIS MORNING.

 

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Wow-what is not to like about this coming setup?  :sled:

 

Great Moisture..great snow growth..strong omega in the clouds, adequate winds-yikes-get the snow shovels out! :) With temps dropping to zero degrees..gale force winds...I expect full blown blizzard conditions at all exposed higher elevation locations. Unlike previous events-snow showers will have no problem crossing over the TN line into the NC mtns with such deep moisture and upper level support.

 

Probably the only negatives are the winds will be slowly veering with time ended up out of the North which will prevent NW to SE oriented bands from lingering over the same locations. Also, it won't be a particularly long lived event either.

 

The pre-cold front environment looks interesting prior to the cold frontal passage for the extreme higher elevations.  Could end with some decent wet snows on the front end of this.

 

I will be getting reports/pics from the mtn top during this event.

 

 

post-9361-0-89220900-1388661300_thumb.jp

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GSP update:

 

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 655 AM...RAIN IS IMMINENT ACROSS THE NC MTNS...WHICH IS
DISCONCERTING SINCE TEMPS REMAIN WELL BELOW FREEZING ACROSS THE HIGH
VALLEYS OF THE NC MTNS. OUR CRITERIA FOR A FZRA ADVISORY IS A TRACE
OF ACCUMULATION...SINCE THIS IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS.
THEREFORE...AN ADVISORY WAS ISSUED EARLIER FOR THE NORTHERN MTNS
PLUS MADISON COUNTY. PRECIP SHOULD CHANGE TO RAIN QUICKLY AFTER
BEGINNING...AND LITTLE MORE THAN A TRACE OF ICE SHOULD ACCUMULATE.
HOWEVER...CONSIDERING HOW COULD IT HAS BEEN ACROSS THE NORTHERN MTNS
THIS MORNING...THIS WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE SLICK SPOTS ON
ROADS.

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also here is part of the GSP overnight disco:

 

FRONTAL PRECIP WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH
ABOUT MID-AFTERNOON...AND CATEGORICAL POPS WILL BE CARRIED IN ALL
AREAS. QPF THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WILL GENERALLY BE LESS THAN A
QUARTER INCH IN MOST AREAS...WITH SOME AMOUNTS APPROACHING ONE HALF
INCH ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST NC MTNS...WHERE SOME ENHANCEMENT OF PRECIP
RATES IS LIKELY IN STRONG W/SW UPSLOPE FLOW. VERY COLD AIR SLASHING
IN BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALLOW SNOW LEVELS TO FALL RAPIDLY ACROSS
THE NC MTNS THIS AFTERNOON. IN FACT...A TRANSITION TO SNOW...WITH
LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMS LIKELY...WILL OCCUR IN THE HIGH ELEVATIONS
BEFORE THE FRONTAL PRECIP SHIFTS EAST.
HOWEVER...THE PRIMARY SNOW
EVENT WILL BE POST-FRONTAL...IN STRONG NW FLOW REGIME (H8 WINDS OF
40-55 KTS BY 03Z). TEMPERATURES IN THE NW FLOW MOIST LAYER APPROACH
-20 C BY 06Z. IT/S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE WE/VE SEEN SUCH THERMAL
PROFILES FOR A NORTHWEST FLOW SNOW EVENT.
THIS COMBINED WITH AMPLE
SYNOPTIC SUPPORT FROM THE PASSING UPPER TROUGH USUALLY MEANS
WIDESPREAD SNOW SHOWERS THAT ARE VERY EFFICIENT SNOWFALL PRODUCERS.
IN FACT...SNOW-TO-LIQUID RATIOS OF 30 TO 1 ARE NOT AT ALL OUT OF THE
QUESTION TONIGHT. WILL FORECAST TOTAL ACCUMS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES...WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE HIGH ELEVATIONS ALONG THE TENN
BORDER.
I

IN ADDITION...SURFACE WINDS WILL BECOME VERY STRONG TONIGHT...ESP
ACROSS THE HIGH ELEVATIONS AND ALONG THE EASTERN BLUE RIDGE. NW H8
WINDS OF UP TO 55 KTS...STRONG COLD ADVECTION/SUBSIDENCE...A
PRESSURE GRADIENT OF 7 TO 8 MB ACROSS THE HIGH TERRAIN...AND A
SURFACE CYCLONE BOMBING OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST ARE TYPICALLY
SLAM DUNK INDICATORS OF A HIGH WIND EVENT...AND THE CURRENT WATCH
WILL BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING...WITH HIGH WIND WORDING /WRAPPED/
INTO THE WINTER STORM WARNING ACROSS THE NORTHERN MTNS. A WIND
ADVISORY WILL ALSO BE CARRIED FOR THE ADJACENT LOW ELEVATIONS OF THE
NC FOOTHILLS. 
THE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH SINGLE DIGIT...AND
POSSIBLY BELOW ZERO AIR TEMPERATURES TO PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF -5 TO
-20 ACROSS THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT.
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW WILL ALSO BE SEEN IN THE
NORTHWEST FLOW SNOW AREAS.
IN A NUTSHELL...THIS WILL BE A NIGHT FIT
FOR NEITHER MAN NOR BEAR ACROSS THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE NC
MTNS.

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Here is a map from the latest HRRR run showing rel humidity for 850 mb. I have marked in the red the 70% line which likely is the separation point for areas getting snow and areas not. The time is for 9 PM this evening. 

Nice Mike thank. Again that map show most of Buncombe county in the snow field. Really think they have at least advisory criteria snows. As for the rest could have several bouts of blizzard conditions with these snow squalls.

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To back up Mike's post on 10" possible on ridge tops:

US National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC

Here is our latest forecast for total snowfall in the mountains thru Friday morning. Up to 10 inches may fall on the ridges right along the Tennessee border. Blowing snow will also be of concern, causing poor visibility on mountain roads tonight, even in areas which see lighter accumulations.

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New NAM still looks good.  Highest elevations should turn over to snow around 1PM and may get a fews hours of enhanced snow before pure Upslope kicks in.  Looks like there may be a bit of lull centered around 8PM as the deep moisture is moving out and upslope moisture moves in.  Should be mostly over by 7AM as the 70% + humidity dries up at 850.

 

 

 

 

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