Monsoon's Precipitation Update: Tuesday night into Wednesday
A big system with a lot of moisture is headed our way for Tuesday night into Wednesday. Moderating temperatures, however, will mean that a good bit of this will fall as rain, rather than frozen precipitation.
Things get underway after 9pm Tuesday night with some light snow and flurries, as temperatures then will be hovering around freezing. We’ll see temperatures in the 31-34 range from Tuesday night until about 6 or 7 Wednesday morning, meaning there’s a decent chance we’ll see some snow and sleet at the front end of this mess. This could cause a bit of slush and even ice on roads, particularly during early-morning commutes. But by and large, this will be a liquid (not solid, or even semi-solid) affair; I don’t foresee any major delays or problems from this one.
As the morning wears on, temperatures will rise into the low 40s and the rain will get steadier and heavier, washing away any frozen stuff that has fallen overnight (and even what fell over the past weekend). Rain tapers toward late Wednesday afternoon as a very strong cold front moves through.
Temperatures on Wednesday night will reach down into the upper 20s. Highs for the rest of the week will only be in the mid 30s, and windy conditions will produce daytime wind chills in the 20s. (Thursday and Friday nights could even see single-digit wind chills, so watch out.)
More of the same (with a bit less wind) for the coming weekend.
Chance of a two-hour delay on Wednesday 12/9: 30%
Chance of cancellation on Wednesday: 15%
Stay tuned: I will update the situation as needed if my thinking changes on this system.