2:00 PM | *Ice threat for part of Super Bowl Sunday*
Paul Dorian
12Z NAM (3-km version) forecast map for 2 PM Sunday with ice (i.e., sleet and/or freezing rain, shown in pink/purple) prevalent in the northern and western suburbs of the big cities; map courtesy NOAA/EMC, tropicaltidbits.com
Overview
Super Bowl Sunday is, of course, an extra special big deal this year around this part of the nation and lots of people have travel plans and, unfortunately, the weather will be a factor for at least part of the day. Moisture will arrive on Sunday morning and it’ll be cold enough at the lowest levels of the atmosphere for some icing (sleet, freezing rain) to take place; especially, to the north and west of the big cities. The threat for frozen precipitation is greatest in the morning, mid-day and perhaps early afternoon hours with plain rain more likely by late in the day.
12Z NAM (3-km version) forcast map for 4 PM Sunday with rain (in green) dominating the scene in the immediate I-95 corridor; map courtesy NOAA/EMC, tropicaltidbits.com
Details
A very cold air mass has moved into the Mid-Atlantic region and temperatures will slowly drop this afternoon and bottom out late tonight in the low-to-mid teens in many spots. Sunshine on Saturday will give way to increasing clouds and it’ll stay cold with temperatures struggling to reach 30 degrees for afternoon highs. On Saturday night, attention will turn to our southwest as moisture will begin flowing out of the Gulf of Mexico and towards this area. That moisture should arrive early Sunday and it may be cold enough for snow at the onset, but perhaps more likely and more concerning, is the threat for icing; especially, in the northern and western suburbs of the DC, Philly, NYC metro regions. It looks like it can stay cold enough for ice (i.e., sleet and/or freezing rain) to continue into the early afternoon hours; especially, in suburban locations, but by later in the afternoon a transition to plain rain is likely as temperatures climb to the upper 30’s. Precipitation will then wind down early Sunday night in the DC-to-Philly-to-NYC corridor – perhaps with a brief change back to snow or ice - and it’ll stay cold on Monday and Tuesday.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Vencore, Inc.
vencoreweather.com
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