7:00 AM | **Powerful winds develop later today and continue tonight with possible 50 mph wind gusts...significant snow threat Sunday afternoon into Monday, but mixing is still on the table**
Paul Dorian
6-Day Forecast
Today
Dramatically increasing winds today with gusts to 50 mph late in the day, partly sunny skies, cold, snow showers possible, temperatures have already peaked for the day in the middle 30's and should drop during the afternoon, wind chills lowering during the afternoon hours
Tonight
Still windy and becoming frigid with brutally cold wind chill, mostly clear skies, lows by morning in the low-to-mid teens
Saturday
Mostly sunny, windy, cold, upper 20’s for highs, much lower wind chills
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, much calmer winds, very cold, low 20’s
Sunday
The potential exists for a significant snow event Sunday afternoon into Monday…becoming cloudy, cold, snow likely later in the day and at night, there is the chance for somw mixing with rain or sleet, mid 30’s
Monday
Snow possible early; otherwise, mostly cloudy, windy, cold, mid-to-upper 20’s; brutal cold at night
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, very cold, mid 20’s
Wednesday
Partly sunny, not as cold, mid 30's
Discussion
The big story today will be the increasing winds which could gust to 50 mph by the end of the day and into tonight. The clipper system responsible for yesterday's sleet/rain mix around here will intensify rapidly today on its way to northern New England where more significant snow can fall. This storm intensification will dramatically stiffen the pressure gradient leading to strengthening winds here later today and tonight primarily out of the northwest. Arctic air will plunge into the region today riding in on those strong NW winds with snow showers possible and it'll be frigid tonight and Saturday with brutally cold wind chill values.
On Saturday, copious amounts of moisture will head out of the southwestern states and into the central Plains and then continue right towards the Mid-Atlantic region later this weekend. Significant snow is occurring today in the southwest US (e.g., New Mexico) and it’ll move into the region between Kansas and Indiana on Saturday. By Sunday, this moisture will begin streaming into the Mid-Atlantic region and snow is likely break out around here during the afternoon hours. Quite cold air will be in place in the Mid-Atlantic region with anchoring high pressure systems situated to the north and northwest. This storm has the potential to produce several inches of snow in the entire I-95 corridor region from Sunday afternoon into Monday, but that is still a couple days away and – as we experienced earlier this week – a slight shift in the storm track can have significant impact on the outcome. The storm may push just far enough to the north late this weekend to allow for the possibility of mixing in southern sections of the Mid-Atlantic (e.g. DC metro region) and this would have a big impact on potential snow accumulations. No matter what happens with this early week storm, bitter cold air is likely to follow for much of next week.
Video
httpv://youtu.be/nc8M87WGLxA