Skip to main content

Arctic Blast Round 2, Wintry Mix Possible This Weekend

Click to enlarge
We've finally emerged from the coldest air we've see this season as temperatures warm closer to and just above freezing on Wednesday but it's only a lull. An area of high pressure over Eastern Canada will allow cold air to spill back down in to the Midsouth and Upper Midwest but for a shorter period of time than the last round. This blast of arctic air is headed our way Wednesday night only to be followed by a possible light wintry mix by the weekend. 
Click to enlarge
Computer models are not in good agreement about the timing of any moisture arriving to the region but if it arrives early Sunday, there is a good chance that freezing rain and sleet will mix with rain for the onset before switching over to all rain. That scenario will become more clear and we get closer to the weekend. In either case, temperatures will warm quite a bit into the 40's Sunday-Monday. You can identify the warming trend on the Looking Ahead graphic to the left.
Near record cold snaps are not uncommon this time of year and we are getting pretty close to the time of year we see the average coldest days for the Paducah area. The map below indicates that occurrence between January 11-15th.



Labels:
Location: Paducah, KY, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Planting Zones Heading North

As our global climate changes, so does our planting zones, helping us determine which flowers/shrubs/trees are hardy in specific areas. The Local 6 area has always been split by 2-3 growing zones so placement becomes very important to those in the agricultural community. The image below represents the average over the past 30 years. Climate Central published the following information:  "What kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees you’ll find at your local nursery depends on your climate — how warm it tends to get in summer, and how cold in winter. A plant that’s happy in Wisconsin might be miserable in Alabama, and vice versa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has formalized these differences into " hardiness zones " — strips of similar climate that run more or less east-to-west (except in the high mountains), where particular plants should do especially well. But as the planet warms under its thickening blanket of greenhouse gases, those zones are shifting northward. Th...
46 comments
Read more

Updates on Upcoming Winter Weather Events

Sunday Morning Update: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for much of the WPSD Local 6 area with a handful of counties just reaching Winter Storm criteria. Here is the latest map. They are in effect until early Monday. Snowfall totals have not changed much from last nights posting and I really feel this will still just be a road impact for Monday morning. Here is the projected snowfall total map: Sorry, TN. Looks like another near miss on the snow for you. :( Saturday Night Update: A Winter Storm Watch has been issued by the Paducah National Weather Service for most of the WPSD Local 6 area. Portions of NW TN and MO Bootheel have been placed under a Winter Weather Advisory all for winters weather on Sunday as colder air begins to arrive.   Rain will switch over to freezing rain, sleet, and snow during the day on Sunday eventually leading to accumulations in the watch/advisory areas. Initially any frozen precip will melt thanks to Saturday's mild temps and warmer pavement surfac...
4 comments
Read more

Longer Allergy Seasons

The National Phenology Network is showing the early arrival of leaves on trees in the Ohio Valley, the Midwest, and Western United States this year. This trend has become more of a norm over the past past 50 years.   Climate Central published data this week showing the same trend since 1970 with notable attention to the West where states are seeing as many as 17 more frost-free days, extending the growing season. Here in the Local 6 area, the growth is not as notable but still averaging between 4-9 days additional to the growing season. Why does this matter? Aside from having an influence on which plants are suitable for planting zones, it has a much higher societal impact by extending the allergy season.  "As the climate warms from the increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the last spring freeze is trending earlier and the first fall freeze is coming later. This means the growing season is getting longer, and so is the pollen season— whether it i...
4 comments
Read more