And
this time she means business!
The
big picture described in yesterday’s blog post is still on track, but the
details are a little different. This is
based on the latest computer model runs.
Basically, an upper-level system now in the southwestern part of the
country will combine with a disturbance moving in from western Canada and will
intensify over the Southeast. This will
induce a surface low to form first in the Gulf of Mexico and then off the
Southeast coast. High pressure over New
England will push cold air into the Carolinas setting the stage for winter
precipitation. It will be a “big ol’
mess” when all comes together.
A
Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the northern midland counties of
Saluda, Newberry, Fairfield, and Kershaw.
This will be for an accumulation of snow and sleet mainly Tuesday
morning. The following is an update from
the previous post.
As
mentioned yesterday the forecast is a difficult one based on the timing and
various forms of winter precipitation that will occur. The Midlands will see it all; rain, freezing
rain, sleet, and snow. It appears that
the onset of precipitation will be late tonight as rain moves into the
area. The rain will likely change to
snow during the early morning hours for the northern part of the Midlands (Saluda,
Newberry, Fairfield, and Kershaw counties).
There could be enough accumulation to cause travel problems, so travel
through the northern Midlands needs to be monitored. The snow will change to rain and taper off
during the afternoon. This will be the
first surge of moisture into the region.
 |
| The forecast for snow accumulation mainly from the snow/sleet that falls Tuesday morning. The rain/snow line will cut through the central Midlands. Click on the image for a larger view. Image Credit: WLTX-TV. |
The
worst of the weather will come Tuesday night through Wednesday night and a
Winter Storm Warning will be in effect from 7 p.m. Tuesday until noon Thursday. The precipitation may begin as rain late
Tuesday night, but will change to snow, sleet, and freezing rain during the
early morning hours. The intensity of
the precipitation will increase during the morning and this is when most of the
ice accumulation will occur. There could
be extensive ice buildup leading to power outage on Wednesday. Another concern will be winds. Winds are likely to be from the northeast at
10 to 20 mph on Wednesday which will aggravate the situation.
 |
| A computer model view (RPM) of precipitation at 8 a.m. Wednesday. This is from the 21z RPM model run. The bluish areas are snow and could contain sleet. The green areas are rain. The pink is for a wintry mix. Click on the image for a larger view. Image Credit: WLTX-TV. |
 |
| A computer model view (RPM) of precipitation at noon. Wednesday. This is from the 21z RPM model run. The bluish areas are snow and could contain sleet. The green areas are rain. The pink is for a wintry mix. Click on the image for a larger view. Image Credit: WLTX-TV. |
 |
| The forecast for ice accumulation mainly on Wednesday into Wednesday night. Click on the image for a larger view. Image Credit: WLTX-TV. |
If
this were not enough the upper-level system will be intensifying over the
Carolinas Wednesday night. This will
change the freezing rain to sleet and then snow for the piedmont and upstate
areas of South Carolina. There could be
a substantial snowfall of greater than 4 inches in these areas early Thursday
morning. In fact the I-85 corridor may
see 6 to 10 inches of snow Wednesday into Thursday before ending. However, this will have to be monitored for
there is still considerable uncertainty.
Travel may be all but impossible by Thursday morning.
