BLOG: Another Storm?

The storm that produced a coating to an inch or two of snow in the Greater Baltimore Area yesterday did pretty much all of the things we had expected it to. Now, our next "challenge" will be to try and determine what a low pressure system that will be developing near the Gulf Coast will do around here during the second half of this weekend.

The models haven't been much help in trying to "pin down" where the steadiest and heaviest snow will be. For example, the G.F.S. --- or the U.S. version of the medium-range global forecast model--was indicating earlier this week that the developing coastal storm would track far enough to the WEST to bring us a few inches (at least 3 or 4) of fresh snow late tomorrow night into Sunday.

However, the European and Canadian versions of this type of forecast model bothinsisted that the storm would glide harmlessly out to sea. Yesterday, the roles of the G.F.S. and the European suddenly "shifted", and the G.F.S. was less impressed with our prospects for getting snow, while the European was more "bullish." Well, last night's run of that same model is now keeping all of the precipitation well to the south and east of the area, or indicating that it will do little or nothing in Baltimore, and there may be up to an inch or so on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Our "gut tells us" that, despite all of this wishy-washy model output, it will probably snow here for at least a few hours late tomorrow night into Sunday. And, while Baltimore and other locations along the I-95 corridor may not see much more than a fresh coating, the chances are greater that somebody on Maryland's Eastern Shore sees a couple of inches -- because they will be in a much closer proximity to where this storm will eventually be heading. And, by the time this storm "really gets cranking", or reaches its peak intensity on Sunday night and Monday morning, it will be located near the coast of New England by then.

So, we will go with the "coating to an inch or two" forecast as our initial call -- and see if adjustments need to be made up (or down) later on.

 Have a good weekend !!!