We did it again! Every year it seems we manage to find another snow chance around the time of the PA Farm Show. Friday featured snow showers that coated a lot of areas of the Midstate but the main event is this coming Monday. While not in the bullseye this time, we still stand the chance of several inches in most places, which would be our biggest snow of the season for most.
The low pressure center of our storm in question will track through Virginia and North Carolina. That the center of the system is so far south means that the Midstate will not be the recipient of the heaviest snow, but will be caught by the northern edge of the snow band. That is not to say some areas won’t see heavy snowfall rates. Closer to the Maryland border in places such as Gettysburg and Chambersburg especially, upwards of 1″ of snow per hour could fall Monday.
Timing-wise we’ll see steady snowfall by sunrise, continuing throughout the day before tapering off in the evening. For the morning it will be important to pay attention to the radar when planning your commute. Temperatures will remain below freezing throughout the day so accumulation on the roads and bridges will not be difficult. Given that this is our first plowable snow of the season, extra time should be allotted to your travels.
With the heaviest snow totals located south of the Mason-Dixon Line, it’ll become less and less wintry the further north we go. Areas closest to the Maryland border are likely to receive between 3-6″ of snow while some mountainous areas may get a little more than that. North of the turnpike is where snow totals dip into the 1-3″ range. Should the track of our system wobble even a little bit, the total numbers will change. We will continue to update you through the weekend on expectations. Not a system to panic about but one to be aware of for Monday!
-Meteorologist Jackson Chastain…