While still about a week away, we're continuing to track a storm system that might mean wintry impacts for our region next weekend (12/8-12/10). It's important to note that nothing is set in stone and that details are unclear this far out.
However, it's being talked about. Our job as meteorologists is to let you know what's out there, any potential threat it poses and when we expect to know more.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
This system is still very far away. In fact, as of Sunday afternoon, it is south of the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific.
This goes to show that there's a lot of time to go still!
WHEN SHOULD WE KNOW MORE?
It's our expectation that things will look clearer by Wednesday or Thursday of this coming week. That's when this storm will be over southern California. At that point, weather balloons can be launched into it. Those balloons record data, that data is fed into the forecast models, and the picture becomes clearer for us.
WHAT DO THE MODELS SAY NOW?
The forecast models are all over the place right now, as we expect them to be for anything 6-8 days away. These same models had us getting 12-24" of rain during Florence 6-8 days prior. They're going to change.
The European (as of Sunday afternoon) forecast model shows a complete miss for our area, with the storm being suppressed farther to the south. Its previous version had us getting 12-18" of snow.
It goes to show how these models change drastically, when trying to nail down specifics for a week away. They should be taken with a grain of salt!
The GFS has the storm closer to the coast, lending us to a lot of snow/mix. This model, too, continues to flip and flop.
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
The bottom line is just to stay tuned to our forecasts. We're not going to know exact details for a few days, but we will track this system for you and let you know of any updates that we can pass along.
Its location and the amount of cold air will be crucial to whether or not we get anything.
Wintry impacts are possible, but it's not yet time to run to the grocery store.
In the meantime, some snow showers in the mountains of West Virginia/the Highlands will be possible Monday night and again early Wednesday. The rest of us stay dry for most, if not all, of the upcoming week.
So relax, stay tuned, and we'll keep you covered on air, online and on social media.