A Plethora of Winter Storm Potentials to Monitor

Synopsis

A longwave trough with quite a broad base will remain almost stationary across the northern half of the U.S. this upcoming week into at least next week. A ridge will persist just off the West Coast, while a block sits over western Greenland. Another ridge will remain positioned over the southeastern quadrant of the U.S. This ridge will initially keep temperatures well above average across the Southeast; however, northern troughing will prohibit the ridge from amplifying unabated. A baroclinic zone will become established across the Southern Plains, Mid-South, Missouri Valley, Tennessee Valley, Southeast, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic. This setup will bring several opportunities for snow, ice, and rain across the mentioned regions over the next two weeks.

We discussed around a week ago how longwave troughing can suppress the storm track too far southward to bring any meaningful wintry precipitation. Instead, conditions are generally very dry and cold. If you recall, model guidance had a lobe of the tropospheric polar vortex digging as far south as the Tennessee Valley for early this week. Instead, we got a flatter trough with some Southeast ridging. In most guidance now, we’re stuck with a long-lasting broad-based trough that likely won’t keep the southern stream storm track suppressed.

Probability of above/below average temperatures over February 14-18, 2021

Cross polar flow extending from Siberia over into western Canada has allowed Arctic air to pool over western Canada. That brutally cold airmass has already begun spilling into the upper Plains and Midwest. But essentially, we now have the available cold air to tap as numerous storm systems parade from the Southwest/Southern Plains in an east or northeastward direction. One major drawback to the expected pattern configuration is that ice (sleet/freezing rain) could become the more predominant frozen precipitation-type across the Southern Plains, Mid-South, Southeast, and even into the lower Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. With broad troughing centered across the central U.S. and a Southeast ridge to the east, southwesterly flow will transport warm air above the surface. However, Canadian high pressure will wrap around very cold air at the surface. This will produce atmospheric profiles that support sleet/freezing rain versus snow.  

Systems We’re Currently Watching

We have a slew of systems we’re currently watching that will bring impacts in the foreseeable future. We’re going to post articles and social media updates on each system individually, but we will introduce those threats here.

February 10-12, 2021 (Wed.-Fri.): Shortwaves embedded in mostly westerly flow will bring widespread precipitation across the Southern Plains, Mid-South, Missouri Valley, Southeast, Tennessee, along and south of the Ohio River, and the Mid-Atlantic. Canadian high pressure has continued to advect cold air at the surface across northern portions of where precipitation will develop. We expect a prolonged period of sleet/freezing rain to fall across northern Texas, central/eastern Oklahoma, northern/central Arkansas, lower Missouri, western Tennessee, upper Mississippi, and Kentucky. North of the Ohio River and areas across much of the Mid-Atlantic will experience mostly snow, although lower and central parts of the Virginias may get a mixture of snow/ice. For areas south, expect rain.

February 13-14, 2021 (Weekend): Forecast model guidance indicates HIGH uncertainty for this potential event. The outcome of this potential winter storm depends on the interaction of three features: a shortwave entering lower California late week, a shortwave entering the Pacific Northwest around the same time, and a lobe of the tropospheric polar vortex spinning over the northern Plains/Midwest. The European model continues to indicate that the California wave gets suppressed so far south that it passes across the Gulf of Mexico. This feature would bring rainy conditions to Florida and areas along and relatively close to the Gulf coast over much of the weekend. On the other hand, the GFS often has the California wave phasing with the Pacific Northwest wave somewhere over the central U.S. This scenario would result in the phased systems eventually taking on a northeastward trajectory. This scenario would potentially bring a significant winter storm to the central/southern Plains, the Mid-South, the Missouri Valley, the lower Midwest, the Ohio Valley, the lower Great Lakes, and Northeast over the weekend. I will admit that this is a tough forecast, and at the moment, I need additional time to study this event.

February 15-17, 2021 (Mon.-Wed.): A strong shortwave will enter the western U.S. later in the weekend and dig southeastward into the Four Corners region. As the wave continues eastward, the tropospheric polar vortex lobe will move eastward across the Great Lakes and Northeast. These two features will create a region of confluent flow across the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic/New England, which will support Canadian high pressure moving eastward into the Northeast. This high will likely result in cold air damming as far south as the Carolinas and Georgia. A surface low will likely develop along the Gulf coast in response to the shortwave approaching the region. Cold air will already be in place across the Southern Plains, Mid-South, and much of Tennessee to support wintry precipitation. With cold air damming in place, the Carolinas, northern Georgia, and northeastern Alabama need to closely monitor the potential for an ice storm next week. This system could potentially bring an impactful winter storms to parts of the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and (maybe) the Northeast. We have about a week to get into specifics. I advise against making any changes to current plans until confidence increases over the next two to three days.