Thursday Morning Forecast

Synopsis: For this upcoming week we can expect at or below normal temperatures with a couple storm systems coming through the region. Today we can expect mostly cloudy, breezy conditions with a chance of flurries and cold temperature in the mid 30s. Our next storm system, a clipper will then enter the region late Friday and continue into Saturday afternoon. At the moment temperatures appear to be cold enough to support snow, so the threat exists for light accumulations with this system. Then as we head into Monday a larger storm system will begin to affect the region. The precipitation will likely start as snow and eventually change to rain. Keep in mind that this storm is still several days out, so a lot can change.

Short Term: A weakening low centered over the Canadian Maritimes will be the source of strong, NW winds throughout the day. Cold advection will remain in full force today with highs consequently struggling to reach 40 across much of the commonwealth. Expect scattered, lake-effect snow showers across the NW portions of PA throughout the day with little accumulation. Our next system will move through the region Friday night into Saturday morning in the form of a clipper. Current GFS runs show the system dipping farther south, bringing more precipitation, most likely in the form of snow, to southern PA.

Long Term: After the clipper moves through, we will come under the influence of a weak area of high pressure. This high won't last long, though, as a rapidly strengthening system over the Northern Plains moves to the NEover the Great Lakes. Past model runs (especially the ECMWF) swung this system up the coast, producing snowfall totals over a foot from the mid-Atlantic up into ME. But (unfortunately), the GFS and ECMWF have come into agreement regarding the track of the storm - moving NE over the lakes and swinging up into Canada. We will be affected by this storm's cold front around 12Z Tuesday. This is not the whole story, though... 00Z ECMWF and 06Z GFS both show a new center of low pressure developing just off the coast on Tuesday morning, bringing the potential for more than a foot of snow to portions of New England (and possibly NE PA).