[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUcHD4mtpcY&w=480&h=360]
SNOWY START TO WEEK: New storm moving in today bringing with it some snow with a little rain mixed in across the far southern counties. Amounts are expected to be light with 1-3″ of snow with isolated heavier totals mainly north of US Hwy 30. To the south there will be a mix with perhaps up to an inch. Winds will be the major factor with this storm bringing blowing and drifting snow during the day into the evening hours thus the reasoning for the blizzard warning in the northern counties of the state. Travel will be hazardous along and north of US Hwy 20 through the evening hours, thus if you’re going to be traveling in those areas, it would be best to either take your time or not to travel at all if you don’t have to.
COLDER WEEK: The rest of the week will see cooler than average temperatures across the state with readings mainly in the 30s to lower 40s across the area. Tuesday and Wednesday Morning will see lows down into the teens and perhaps a few single digits as well with high pressure close by. the next system will approach from the west, however it’s looking more likely that the system may only bring light snow or a mix to the far western and southern tier of counties beginning late Friday through Saturday as dry air from the northeast will keep much of the precipitation from entering the state. Will watch to see if the track changes over the next few days that could bring more of the precipitation to more of the state.
WARMING BACK UP: Temperatures are expected to rebound as we head into the last week of March with a few systems toward the end of the month into the first few days of April. The models which had been showing a more active pattern in the latter half of the month have trended more quiet of late (fairly typical in the 8-14 outlooks on model runs). We’ll see if this trend continues or it reverts back to the more active pattern we’d been seeing over the last week.