Monday, January 14, 2013

ingredients assembling... (pm.14.jan.13)>

Monday˙s stats:

Early morning low temp: 44.6F (7.0C)
Afternoon high temp: 55.2F (12.9C)
Rainfall: none

We˙ve just had a beautiful sunset this evening, thanks to the variety of multi-layered clouds across the area.  Despite the limited sunshine this afternoon, my high temp in the upper part of town ended up well above average for the middle of January -- a range we˙ve been in for several days now.

There are huge changes going on throughout all layers of the atmosphere right now, as a very strong winter storm system begins to take shape just to our west.  Upper-level winds are starting to carve out a deep trough of low pressure over Afghanistan and Pakistan which will eventually draw moisture northward from the Arabian Sea, while colder air and lots of dynamic energy drop southeastward from central Asia into the western Himalayas.  By Thursday, we˙ll have a mature storm system parked just to our west, which will then begin to slowly shift eastward.

Very heavy amounts of rain and snow are being suggested by all the computer model sources I can get my hands on -- on the order of 6-10cm (2-4") of liquid precipitation, which could mean a few feet of snow in areas cold enough for an all-snow event.  Based on current information, it looks like the heart of the action will occur between late Wednesday night and Friday night, but of course the exact timing could shift as the storm develops.

It certainly appears that we have a major dose of winter on the way... so stay connected here for the latest info.

MONDAY NIGHT:
partly to mostly cloudy.  still not too cold for mid-january
low: 6C (43F)

TUESDAY:
a mix of clouds and some sun.  slightly cooler.
high: 12C (53F)

TUESDAY NIGHT:
partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance of a shower.
low: 6C (42F)

WEDNESDAY:
both clouds and some periods of sun.  chance of a couple of rain showers developing.
high: 11C (52F)

THURSDAY:
mostly cloudy and turning colder with periods of rain likely.  rain could mix with or change to snow by evening.
low: 2C (36F)
high: 9C (48F)

FRIDAY:
mostly cloudy with periods of rain and/or snow.  heavy snow likely just above mcleod.
low: 0C (32F)
high: 4C (40F)

SATURDAY:
a lingering rain or snow shower in the early morning?  otherwise some sunshine re-appearing.
morning low: -1C (31F)
daytime high: 4C (40F)