Major Christmas Storm??

Atypical weather for this time of the year has continued for the region. It has been more than twenty (20) days since the last measureable snowfall in Cleveland.  After the November the region experienced, that is quite a turn around. Weather the past several days has been very mild with high temperatures reaching into the lower 50’s. A cold front moved through this morning allowing more seasonable temperatures to return to the region. While the next couple of days will be seasonably cold, the arctic air remains bottled up in Siberia, for now. Temperatures will remain chilly the next couple of days before moderating to above seasonable levels early next week. The real action for the region and the Eastern USA begins on Tuesday as a strong storm system potentially takes shape over the lower Mississippi Valley.

Currently seasonably cold air is moving south into the area. A few light snow showers are falling from time to time and late Wednesday night there is chance for light snow across the snow belt in Northeastern Ohio.

Friday high pressure will remain in control of the weather over the area. A weak system will develop to the south and will begin to move through the southern tier of the country. This system has the potential to generate severe weather along the gulf coast where warm moist air moves inland.

On Saturday the system will be moving through the Southeast and attempt to spread snow into Ohio. Northern sections of the state should remain precipitation free as high pressure provides a dry northerly flow. Temperatures will remain at seasonable levels all weekend.

Monday the area will be under flow out of the south and temperatures will moderate into the lower 40’s. This is in advance of a potent storm system that will be developing in central Plain states.

On Tuesday the system to our west will deepen further as it begins to combine with energy moving south out of Canada. The area will be on the warm and increasingly windy side of the storm during the day. Rain chances will also be increasing throughout the day.

On Wednesday the system is forecast to undergo explosive development. The track of the low is uncertain at this time but it may move directly over Ohio. As it does the region will begin in the warm, windy, and wet sector of the storm. During the day the cold front will sweep through the area ushering in much colder air. Rain showers will change to snow later during the day and into the overnight. Accumulations at this time are expected to be heaviest to our northwest but enough may fall over northern Ohio for a white Christmas. Stay tuned for more details and specifics as we approach this high impact storm!