Rain, snow, and turning much colder the first part of the week

Highlights: Dry conditions and warmer temperatures are expected today before a storm system brings rain on Monday, and light snow by Monday night. Intermittent snow showers and much colder on Tuesday.

Warm southerly air will push in today ahead of a strong low pressure system making today THE warmest day of the week. That warm southerly air will also bring increasing moisture and clouds this afternoon and gradually increasing chances for rain showers on Monday. Rain showers will eventually overspread the region by late Monday morning or early afternoon.

Temperatures will take a nose-dive Monday night as a cold front crosses the region. Winds will shift to the northwest and become gusty with the front. Rain showers will transition to snow showers before midnight and continue into Tuesday morning with odds for snow showers decreasing Tuesday afternoon.

Temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday will be sharply colder. Afternoon highs on Tuesday will be in the upper-20s. Lows Tuesday night in the mid-teens. We might break 30° for the afternoon high on Wednesday.

HOW MUCH SNOW ARE WE GOING TO GET?
Everyone wants to know about snow amounts. While there is high confidence that everyone in the Valley will see snow with this system Monday night through Tuesday morning, the amount that actually accumulates will depend on location. Most areas will end up with a good inch or two. Locations north of US-250 should lean toward two to three inches.

Impacts will also vary locally. Grassy areas and elevated surfaces will see the highest snow accumulation. Today’s guidance suggests the period of heaviest snowfall will occur Monday night into Tuesday morning, so the morning commute Tuesday could be a messy one. Lake effect snow bands may bring additional bursts of snowfall during the daytime hours Tuesday mainly in the northern half of the county. [Adjustments to the snow forecast are possible]

Those temperatures, though, will be really cold and wind chills will make it feel even worse. Break out the heavy coat.

WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
While Wednesday will remain below freezing, we will start to see temperatures trend toward the low-40s by the end of the workweek – still, well below average for this time of the year.

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