Let it Snow!

It's already been a nasty morning with heavy rain around the area. We've received over 1.25" and heavy rain should continue for a couple of more hours. After that, things will begin to get interesting. First of all, temperatures have warmed a bit this morning, but they should begin to cool as an upper level low passes to our southeast. Models have trended a little bit warmer, but current observations do not support the warm solution offered by the NAM in particular. In fact, heavy snow is being reported at Jackson with a temperature of 33. This is directly attributed to dynamic cooling that is occurring in close proximity to the upper low.

The key to our forecast will be the track of the upper low. It appears that it will be close enough to our area for wet snow to begin falling late this morning and very early afternoon. It will probably take an hour or less of heavy snow for a thin layer to stick to the warm, wet ground. After it does so, additional snow should have no problem accumulating on grassy and elevated surfaces. The heavy band of snow looks like it may stay just to our south and keep the heavier snow in places like Philadelphia and Meridian. Those areas could see over 5" of snow! In our area, I feel confident that we will see snow, but I am lowering my total to 1" for Starkville. The snow should end after 5 p.m. I'll have another update later today.