Monday Night Technical Discussion

Synopsis

 

As the snow showers dissipate tonight across the state, a northwesterly flow will set up for the rest of the week and provide a chance for scattered snow showers for central and western Pennsylvania. High pressure will make its presence Saturday and for the first half of Sunday as clouds finally clear for the majority of the state. This will bring a return southwesterly flow and finally allow temperatures to rise near normal, which at the moment is in the upper 40's to lower 50's statewide. However, clouds will make their way back into the area Sunday afternoon as a system passes to our north, which could bring some mixed precipitation across the state.

 

Short Term (Monday night thru Tuesday)

 

Snow showers will begin to dissipate overnight as both the 18Z NAM and GFS agree with precipitation ending around 06Z Tuesday. As the low pressure continues to move off the east coast a northwesterly flow will set up and provide western PA with scattered lake effect snow showers for the rest of the week. Portions of central Pennsylvania could see these showers mix with rain at times this week as temperatures should rise close to 40 degrees under partly sunny skies.

 

Long Term (Wednesday into the ­weekend)

 

As the northwesterly flow persists and scattered lake effect snow and rain showers continue to affect central and western portions of the state, eastern PA will likely see partly cloudy and windy conditions Wednesday. The flow should weaken later this week as high pressure starts pushing east into the region. As it does so, scattered lake effect snow showers will dissipate Friday morning and clouds will clear across the state. Saturday and Sunday morning look rather calm as high pressure moves in and high temperatures will reach the 50's for much of the state. We will need to keep an eye out for Sunday afternoon, as the 18Z GFS is showing a low pressure system moving just north of the state and bringing a chance for mixed precipitation for extreme northern portions of the state and rain showers for the rest of PA.

~A.J. Herbert