We’ll be straddling the line between rain and ice again, so it’s hard to say how rotten it’ll get, but either way the forecast cuts get ready for cold, snow and ice on Thursday.
From the NWS:
Thursday: A chance of snow and sleet before 10am, then periods of freezing rain and sleet between 10am and 1pm, then periods of snow and sleet between 1pm and 4pm, then periods of freezing rain after 4pm. High near 34. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday Night: Periods of freezing rain before 9pm, then periods of rain. Low around 33. North wind between 6 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Here’s the weather geek description:
THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT…
CLASSIC IN SITU COLD AIR DAMMING EVENT WILL UNFOLD DURING THIS TIME… WHERE DIABATIC COOLING VIA EVAPORATION WILL BE THE IMPETUS
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DAMMING WEDGE. TYPICALLY IN SITU DAMMING CASES CANNOT SUSTAIN THEMSELVES FOR LONG DURATIONS… SINCE THEY
LACK A CONTINUAL SUPPLY OF COLD DRY AIR ADVECTION IN THE LOW LEVELS… COURTESY OF A PARENT SURFACE HIGH TO OUR NORTH. THE LATENT HEAT OF FUSION AND RESULTING WARMING DURING FREEZING RAIN ULTIMATELY MAKES IT SELF LIMITING. AS HAS BEEN ADVERTISED BY PREVIOUS SHIFTS…
THE SURFACE HIGH WILL BE WEAK… TRANSIENT… AND LOCATED TOO FAR SOUTH TO SUPPORT A *CLASSIC* WINTER WEATHER EVENT ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. HOWEVER… VERY COLD… DRY AIR WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE ARCTIC AIRMASS CURRENTLY SETTLING OVERHEAD. THIS AIRMASS… AT 06Z 31 JANUARY… WAS CHARACTERIZED BY SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS UPSTREAM OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND BELOW ZERO WESTWARD INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST. THIS EVENT MAY BE ONE OF THOSE RARE CASES THAT BECAUSE THE AIR IS SO COLD AND DRY TO START THE EVENT… POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT ICING COULD RESULT BEFORE A GRADUAL WARMING AND CHANGEOVER TO LIQUID.