East Coast Gets Major Storm - Where Will It Go?
Forecasters on the eastern seaboard are keeping a sharp eye on the low pressure system that is currently tracking across the Gulf coast.
The path of the storm will determine whether the northeast gets rain, snow, or a blizzard. The image to the right is my crude drawing of the storm’s expected path, based on the 6Z Sunday runs of the GFS and NAM forecast models. The NAM prefers a more inland route, while the GFS shows the low moving out to sea, before getting back on land in Rhode Island.
With the NAM model, Atlanta gets more rain later today and tonight than we would get with the GFS model. Further north, the major East coast cities get a few inches of snow, before the weather turns into rain … essentially a non-event.
With the GFS model, East coast cities get a major blizzard, with 8-12 inches of snow possible in some areas in northern Virginia, eastern Pennsylvania, and Boston. The storm will also be affected by a cold front moving from Minnesota across the Great Lakes, and through Pennsylvania tonight and Monday. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Here in Georgia, the storm plays itself out by midday Monday, with no threat of snow or freezing rain. Then, a cold wave comes in, with low temps Monday through Wednesday nights below freezing, and daytime highs below 50. During this period, we might see a few flurries, but nothing to worry about unless you plan to go to the Carolina mountains.
Longer term, all indications call for colder than normal temps through mid-March. It’s ironic how we have apparently traded the first two weeks of January for the first two weeks of March, temperature-wise.
After this weekend’s storm, we have high pressure in the area for the week, with a possible weak frontal system causing precipitation on Saturday. There’s a more likely chance of bad weather on March 8th and again on March 11th. It’s too early to tell whether this will be rain, snow, or a mix.
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