Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Wednesday Midday Update

It's the talk all around town today -- the chance for winter weather Thursday. It does appear that many of us will see winter weather tomorrow. This storm will likely have a bigger impact on our area compared to the winter weather a couple of weeks ago.

If you remember, a couple of weeks ago, we were just coming out of a weather pattern featuring warmer than normal temperatures. At the time, ground temperatures were in the mid 40s. Today ground temperatures are in the mid 30s. Any snow or sleet that falls will begin to stick to the ground fairly quickly.

Another factor about today's weather in North Carolina -- it's very dry. At midday Wednesday, dewpoints are in the single digits. With dry air in place, the precipitation that moves in Thursday will initially evaporate before hitting the ground. Evaporation cools the air and helps to lock in the cold air across the region when the precipitation eventually reaches the ground.

We've been closely watching the latest weather data pouring into the forecast office today. Here's our latest thinking on the winter weather threat --

  • Precipitation should begin around 7-9am Thursday morning. From the Triangle to the Triad, the precipitation should start as all snow. In the Sandhills to Goldsboro, look for a mix of snow and sleet.
  • Through the late morning hours, the snow will mix with sleet in the Triangle and the Triad.
  • From the Sandhills to Goldsboro, the wintry mix should become all rain by midday.
  • The snow and sleet mixture should become freezing rain in the Triangle and Triad around midday. The result could be 1-2" of snow with a quarter inch of ice on top of the snow.
  • The winter mix should become all rain in the Triangle by mid to late afternoon. The changeover to rain may not take place in the Triad.

As with any winter storm in North Carolina, the forecast may change. We'll continue to follow the very latest in the forecast center. You can find the very latest on your forecast by tuning in for Weather on the Ones on News 14 Carolina.

When the winter weather begins in your neighborhood tomorrow, you can let us know what's happening in your community and send us digital photos to weather@news14.com

Have questions about the winter weather threat? Just click the comment link below.

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