Thursday, Jan 17 to Monday, Jan 21, 2008 Ice (??), then Cold

[Resident 2B]

Looking out the next week, I am getting concerned that we could have a significant ice storm this coming Thursday night into Friday. This will be followed by the coldest air mass of the year.

It looks like there will be a storm coming from the Gulf of Mexico, up the coast to the Carolinas. From there, it is starting to look like the storm will have a more northerly vector and go a bit to our west, maybe even right over us. With colder air trapped in the valleys and a warmer flow from the ocean above, we could see an ice storm with this. If we do, it might be a serious ice storm. This is not yet a high confidence forecast, but something that has a 50/50 chance of happening.

My big concern is with the air mass that will follow the storm, no matter what the track. We will be near or below zero at night over the coming weekend and in the single digits during the day on Sunday and Monday. If we get an ice storm and if it causes power outages, the very cold air following the storm could create a very serious situation for those without power.

For now, this is something to pay close attention to, but it is still three days out and the track is still to be determined. It could be a snow storm. That would be good news.

R2B