Wintry weather potential for the remainder of February
Is winter over? That's the question burning up the internets where meterologists (legit and otherwise) gather. It's a difficult question to answer, and a dangerous one, too. Trends point toward increasingly milder weather, and the sun angle makes accumulating snow less likely with each passing day. But we had a snowstorm in October, for frick's sake. If this winter has been anything, it's unpredictable.
The latest buzz centers on the potential for a Nor'easter on Sunday into Monday. Some forecasting models are pointing toward a blizzard with more than 18 inches of snow; others show a complete miss for our area. So what's going to happen? Here's my take on the final two weeks of February...
After an evening of scattered showers and drizzle on Tuesday night, we'll see gradual clearing on Wednesday 2/15 with a high in the low 50s. We'll see light precipitation develop overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, and then steadier precipitation will set in for the afternoon and early evening. Temperatures will still be around freezing early Thursday morning, so we could see some icy spots develop. But the bulk of the precipitation will fall as plain rain, as Thursday afternoon temperatures will reach into the mid 40s.
Chance of Thursday school cancellation, 15%
Chance of Thursday school delay, 25%
Friday and Saturday will be partly sunny and breezy, with highs of 48 both days. Overnight lows will reach 30 each night.
Sunday will be partly cloudy and chillier with a high of only 42. I think the buzzed-about storm will miss us, so no precipitation to worry about. Monday 2/20 looks brilliantly sunny with a high remaining in the lower 40s. More of the same for Tuesday.
We'll likely see some rain on Wednesday 2/22 and Thursday 2/23, but it will be plain old rain. No wintry weather excitement here.
The final handful of days in February will be milder on the whole, with highs reaching into the 40s and 50s.
Stay tuned...