ROANOKE, Va. – For the second Sunday in a row, parts of the area woke up to a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. Thank you for sending in your pictures!
Christopher Hallgren - Ivanhoe
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For those who missed out on expected snow, read below for an explanation as to why that happened.
“There were parts of the area whose forecast was right (NRV, most of the Highlands and Southside), and then there were those where the forecast was garbage.
I believe humility goes a long way, especially in this profession. For those waking up to little-to-no snow, let’s chat about it.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
We started with dry air, meaning any precipitation above us evaporated. The process of evaporation cools the surrounding air, meaning it took longer for parts of the area to get cool enough for snow.
So, you were left with rain for a longer period of time. That kept the ground wet and warm, which makes it harder for snow to stick.
Lastly, there was a brief dry slot over North Carolina while all of that was going on. That put a break in the action before the main system came in from the west.
What’s still pretty mind-boggling to me is that Daleville and Troutville wound up with a couple inches of snow, yet you drive 20 minutes south to Roanoke and there’s nothing.
This is a science that will forever humble any who try to predict. Still, we work hard and learn from our mistakes.”