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1/17/16 Winter Weather Threat


packfan98

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Right this setup is a good one for us the easiest temp issue to overcome is a shallow warm layer, if there is decent rates we should see snow over a lot of NC at least....

need to watch the short range models to see if they trend with better precip for nc.  really going to be close as to who can get the rain to switch to snow.  850s are great, but at 38 we will need more than drizzle to get the snow in rdu.

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need to watch the short range models to see if they trend with better precip for nc.  really going to be close as to who can get the rain to switch to snow.  850s are great, but at 38 we will need more than drizzle to get the snow in rdu.

 

No doubt, but if the models trend continues slowly getting stronger etc then maybe we can get lucky.....I got a even bigger temp issue here so I really need the rates, and even then its iffy as hell.... the upside is I am closer to the low, if this does pan out there might be a area where the precip rates support decent snow on the NW edge of the heavier/steadier precip...might see a someone in NC get 2-3".

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I am still learning but are you saying accums may be much less than modeled for some due to virga? 

Wha the means is that when precip begins to fall, it cools the air through evaporative cooling. If the dew points are low enough to start with, the precip will cause the temps to fall toward the wet bulb, and if it's just right, cause it to fall below freezing. If the dew point is not low enough, the temps can only fall so far before hitting that wet bulb temp.

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I am still learning but are you saying accums may be much less than modeled for some due to virga?

No. A dew point depression affects your wet bulb. If you start off at 35/31, you can only drop so low. If you start at 35/21, you're going to be able to cool the atmosphere quicker, wet bulb lower and accumulate more efficiently. Of course, the higher the difference between temp and dew point, the more you lose to virga.

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I'd feel better if we were starting this event with more significant dew point depressions.

Yeah, low level temps/boundary layer conditions are certainly not that good for south carolina/eastern half of north ga. Much better both in terms of lower freezing levels/wetbulb zero heights in north carolina, northwest ga/mountains. Probably is rain where i'm at here regardless unless precip is much heavier. Although if it looks like more than just a few flakes, i might head northwest. I think roughly from northern burbs of atlanta to gainesville to toccoa will probably be the southern extent of any snow here in georgia...although i wouldn't be surprised to see it end as snow in atlanta/west ga right before ending. Further east toward athens, the upstate, etc..doesn't look very good thanks to the upper savannah river valley snow killer bubble that so often blocks low level cold in situations like this.

 

One thing to note is the gfs did horribly with this current low..it was too far south with the track of the low (shifted at least 50 or 75 miles north just since the 18z run yesterday) and looks like convective feedback had an impact on totals in the interior southeast. (which is interesting because the gfs once again shows signs of it with the next system). But As late as yesterday's 18z run, the large precip shield this morning was virtually non existent on the gfs and was woefully underdone over north ga, alabama, TN, and western nc. Even as late as the 0z run, it was way too light. To the nams credit it picked up on it sooner. I didn't pay much attention the the euro prior to yesterdays 12z run on todays rain but it did a better job with it...however it too was still too light over alabama/tn...gem as well.

 

The point in all this being is that although this doesn't necessarily mean the precip with this system will also be greater, i certainly  wouldn't be shocked at all if precip is heavier than currently projected further inland. It's a bit concerning though that the nam isn't biting as you would expect the nam, with it's wet bias, would look better.

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