Stronger chance of light snow Weds.
Well, it still doesn't look like much to worry about. But the National Weather Service has boosted its estimate of the likelihood we'll see some accumulating snow tomorrow.
The official forecast now calls for a "slight" chance for snow starting after midnight tonight - 20 percent. But the odds improve to "likely" - 60 percent - for Wednesday. "New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible," they say. And they're looking for snow chances to continue into the evening, rated at 30 percent. Here's the NWS forecast map for accumulations through 7 p.m. Wednesday.
AccuWeather's snow monger Henry Margusity isn't too exercised about this one. He says, "The problem spot will be east of the Appalachians across PA, Maryland and Virginia where some snow will sneak over the mountains, but -- will it mix with a little rain and just how much can fall? Right now, it looks like just a lot of dustings to perhaps an inch ..."
This morning's NWS discussion out at Sterling isn't very helpful. They're talking about "a more significant Clipper system than what was originally thought." But the computer models seem to suggest at least an inch of snow or more in the mountains over 12 hours, and less as you look farther east. None of the computers forecast more than 4 inches.
That said, having any kind of a snowstorm on Dec. 5 would please those among us who have noted the frequency with which we seem to get snow here on that date. Here's how the last five Dec. 5's have performed:
2006: Trace
2005: 1.4 inches
2004: None
2003: 3.0 inches
2002: 7.4 inches
So, in four of the last five years, we've seen snow at BWI on Dec. 5. Snow tomorrow would make it five out of six. On the other hand, none of the previous five years saw snow on that date.
The winter weather dates I watch are the period from Feb. 11 to Feb. 19. Five of the biggest snowstorms on record for Baltimore (and six of the top ten for Washington DC) have occurred within that period. That's "Snow Week on the Chesapeake."
Comments
For years, I've been calling that period the "teenth week" of February---usually in conversations to folks not from Maryland. It's usually a pretty safe bet that we'll get something sometime between the thirteenth and the nineteenth....
Posted by: mededitor | December 4, 2007 3:19 PM
as usual, I just want enough snow for my class to be canceled - my desire hasn't changed since I was 8 years old, even if I AM the teacher now!
I hate driving in the snow "starfield" at night.
Posted by: April | December 5, 2007 11:15 AM