Next Weeks Storm Could be a Cat 4 for the Mid-Atlantic!

You have to respect the -NAO, +PNA and – AO when you look at the potential snowstorm coming next week. This is what I have been talking about that the blocking pattern coupled with the La Nina and PNA would bring an extreme event around the 15th of the month and sure enough all the operational models are going in that direction. ECMWF and Canadian models seem to the most potent with storm amounts while the GFS is playing the conservative route but still Cat 3 amounts through the major cities. The upside of this storm is a Cat 4 snow events with some areas having 12-18 inches of snow. ECMWF shows Philly with over 21 inches of snow which would be the seasonal total in one storm. Snow ratios and storm track will all place a critical role in the snow amounts. Think 8:1 ratios most likely. It is interesting to see that the track is not really through the benchmark heavy snows in the cities but with such an convective storm coming into a airmass that is getting colder that’s why the huge snow amounts. Expect rates if the storm comes out as shown of 1-3 inches per hour.

7 comments

boss61alwi

THIS is the value of being a member here. Adding snow-blower start up and tune-up here just west of Baltimore. Thanks so much for doing what you do, Henry!

mrkfeather

Just joined Pro last week. Worth every minute, Henry. Been following you for years…

snowybeach777

Henry, good stuff, what I’ve been looking at I see the storm/snow about 100-150 miles further west inland-Appalachians than you, with Philly being rain am I missing something?

Weather Madness

Philly should be all snow next week.

boss61alwi

Look, an actual convo! I have been having my doubts about the rain mix-in risk south and east of I-95, but per this blog post, looks snowier to me.

Keith Larochelle

Unfortunately, the winter playground area of Northern New England is going to miss out on all this fun. 😢