By Jesse Wood
If the early chatter is correct, Mother Nature is about to make up for the lack of snow that the High Country has received during the first few months of winter.
On Monday, RaysWeather.com mentioned that we might need more than a ruler to measure the snowfall that occurs later Thursday night through Saturday.
On Tuesday, RaysWeather.com noted, “Our thoughts have not changed with this storm as the dividing line of rain/snow/mix will set-up in western NC. Exactly where cannot be determined just yet. The main challenge is the possibility of a wintry mix Friday taking away from snow totals. Even with that wild card in the mix this looks to be a healthy snow event.”
The regional National Weather Service office in Blacksburg, Va., mentioned that the “48-hour liquid equivalent forecast from Thursday evening at 7 p.m. until Saturday evening at 7 p.m. is projecting 1 to 2 inches.”
For snow, the National Weather Service said, this would come out to 10 to 20 inches.
“These are projections and not actual forecasts. We will be monitoring the forecast models as we get closer to this event, but trends have been favoring our first decent snow for the Mid-Atlantic and Central Appalachians this winter,” the National Weather Service noted.
On Tuesday at about noon, Chris Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said while it’s still too early to speculate on snowfall amounts, the upcoming storm will be the biggest snow event of the season so far.
“That kind of goes without saying, considering we’ve only had a few inches so far,” Fisher said. “This will certainly be the most significant snowstorm we’ve seen this winter.”
He mentioned that this snow event will last about 36 hours, beginning Thursday evening. Fisher said the forecast picture should become clear tomorrow at about noon.
Check out graphics that NWS Blacksburg, Va., office posted on Monday with the following:
We have a midweek system that is likely going to bring light snowfall to portions of the area, meaning no more than an inch or two. Then we turn our attention to Thursday night through Saturday. Latest computer models are depicting a strong storm system that will move from the TN valley then strengthen somewhere across the Carolina coast by Saturday morning. See images 1 and 2. The question will be where the rain/snow line will be, and any nudge north and south can impact this. At the moment the 48 hour liquid equivalent forecast from Thursday evening at 7 pm, until Saturday evening at 7pm is projecting 1-2″. For snow, that would come out to 10-20″. These are projections and not actual forecasts. We will be monitoring the forecast models as we get closer to this event, but trends have been favoring our first decent snow for the Mid-Atlantic and Central Appalachians this winter. Stay tuned to our facebook page, or visit our winter weather page at http://www.weather.gov/rnk/emer_winter
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