Good Wednesday to one and all. We are only two days away from the BIG day that is Christmas so it’s time for all of us to be on our best behavior. That is easier for some of us than others. 
The weather as we head toward Christmas is going to feature a monster of a storm across the midwest that is going to shut down many states over the holiday weekend. Ours will not be among them.. but the storm continues to show this pattern is loaded and that shows no signs of letting up into the new year.
The storm is going to impact our weather Christmas Eve and Day but in a much different way than those to our west will be seeing. This will be a full blown blizzard from parts of Oklahoma to Wisconsin and west to the Dakotas. Here is what the storm looks like on the GFS…
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
For us… those maps would imply rising temps for Christmas eve into the big day as rain and wind move in. By later in the day Christmas… colder air moves in from the west with a few snow showers being possible.
That is one heck of a cold pool of air that will move in under a huge cut off low for the weekend into early next week. This will likely produce snow showers and squalls. You can see the core of the cold moving in by Monday on the European model…
The last few days of 2009 will feature cold conditions for much of the country as our active southern branch of the jet stream continues to be very active. This should lead to, at least, one west to east moving storm that passes to our south. All the models are strongly suggesting this pattern to close out the year next week…
Canadian Model
GFS
Have a great Wednesday everyone and take care.
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u my dog BAILEY CLAUS!!
have a GRAET CHRISTMAS MAN!!!
Thanks Chris for the update. Here is what the GFS says about the totals, its going to shut down just about the entire midwest?
GFS Snow Total – 120HR
hey bernie what miodels saying bout next week and stuff, not had time to look aty them. tx
With all these monster storms, when is it finally going to be our turn?!
Yes indeed. I will be stormy, but ours will be of the cold rain and trailing end of moisture / snow shower variety during the next few weeks.
This cold and stormy pattern will probably be all bark and very little bite- especially for central KY. Look on the bright side, places that do get good snows are within driving distance;)
Remember- think clipper and then we might get an inch or two on the ground;)
I will take rain any day over a crippling snow storm anyways.
I was reading some of the Warnings out of Minneapolis MN. WOW!!! they are calling this an epic,record breaking event for some areas… a nonstop 48-60 hrs. of accumulating snows,which would create EXTREME SNOWFALL AMOUNTS exceeding 20″ in alot of places…
Really gang, can you imagine 48-60 hrs. worth of moderate to heavy accumulating snow!!!…thats amazing…I know one thing folks up there better be getting over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s today!!!!…lol..
im looking forward to the 5 inches of snow total for this winter season!!!!!! lol
As much as I like snow…I don’t want anything like that. I hope those affected by that storm are safe and warm.
BubbaG, what’s your outlook on eastern Kentucky for the next few weeks?
I don’t understand why you guys want snow so much.. Our power just came back on last night after being out since Friday night. We do have a heat source but lots of people dont. Missed two UK games including the historic 2000th win. Missed my NFL weekend. Hate trudging around in the cold and muck trying to feed the livestock. Looks like some people may still be without power right on through Christmas.. Think about that for a minute. I wouldn’t mind if it never snowed again. But I keep coming back here because I know Chris will keep us informed.
I know the GFS is showing several storms rolling through the south around the new yr.. both the 18z and 00z showed this..and we all know how the Gfs has trouble with those southern tracking storms..so there may actually end up being quite a few of them…FUN AND GAMES…Thats not saying its gonna snow in ky..just saying the potential is there..
I know my backyard is off to a real seasonal start this yr… 10+ for the season already…:)
YEah, this Christmas storm is a blessing for those still without electric,heat..In the terms that it will be WARMer and rain instead of 30 with snow..I saw on T.V. where an older couple were actually sleeping in their pick-up truck because they had no back-up heat source…its untelling how many others went through the same thing…so hopefully everyone will get their electric back on soon…
I know there not pretty, but a good ole fashioned woodburning stove is worth a million bucks in a situation like this…and it also takes a big CHUNK out of that electric bill as well…:)
I wouldn’t call it a blessing the snow will melt and hvy rain will fall leading to soem flodding problems. but it at least it’s warm. as for why someone would want a big snowstorm there some people who have not experienced it in there lifetimes and just want to know what’s it like to have more than 4 inches on the ground. very few snowstorms cause power outages like the past one the main reason why it was an acception was the wet nature of the snow. Ice storms on the other hand always cause widespread power outages and no one wants one.
I heard that many of the areas in Virginia and the mid-atlantic that got dumped on by snow last week will be dealing with some serious ice issues tomorrow and even into Christmas morning.
How awful would it be to lose eectricity of a week from a snowstorm just to get it back on for a day or so before an ice storm takes it out again for another few days…I really feel for those people!
I still would like to see a good snow event in Central Kentucky. Certainly not an electricity busting storm but some snow at least. Maybe New Years
Eve will bring just that…
the last run has temps well below zero to start the new year.
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/gfs/12/images/gfs_ten_312l.gif
as for my thoughts on this the arctic express is coming given a expected negative epo, nao and ao and a pna turning postive for the new year. that is likely overdone though on that gfs run.
Keep in mind that they already have half a foot or better on the ground to begin with – add 2 feet to that, and wow!
asa for a system the middle of next week surpressed into the gulf is the best news for snow as the n trend will be coming it always does.
has anyone studied a pattern shift in the weather over the last 10 years. I mean in the 90’s we were the place for a good snow storm every couple of years. But now its everyone but us. NC, Virginia, and WV got their storm. The midwest is about to get their storm. In Jan you know Ohio and Indiana will be on the snowy side of a big front while KY gets the wrap around snow which is like getting sloppy seconds from your buddy’s ex girlfriend.
Seriously, any pattern changes overall?
It is possible to have a BIG snowstorm without power outages, it just needs to be colder to make the snow drier in nature. Nobody said anything about wanting a wet snowstorm. If you look at places like MN, ND, etc., they routinely get MASSIVE snowstorms, with little power outage problems. So bring on a powdery snowstorm any day!
Well, looks like we will continue to dream of a white Christmas this year. Oh well, its not like we actually thought it would happen, now, is it? 😉
I hope that Santa has water ski blades that he can switch to for our part of the country when he leaves the Pole tomorrow night! I think that he might need to practice a water landing!
thanks, Chris. We will take the cold for the weekend, anyway. IT will still be close to Christmas, and we are actually havingour family Christmas on Saturday, so cold wil lmake it seem more Christmasy!
Looking forward to the next post. I am sure you will have advice for Santa, and all of his elves! Have a GREAT day, everyone!
There’s gotta be something, because you are absolutely right about the fact that before the last 11 years, we could count on getting a MAJOR snowstorm with a good 10-12″ accumulation, sometimes more in CKY at least every other year. Now everyone around us gets it, but we don’t. Every major urban area within a 3 hour drive of here has gotten at least one, most many more, double-digit snowstorm in the last 5 years or so with the possible exception of Nashville. Even Charlotte, NC has gotten a 20″ storm this decade! I don’t believe in Global Warming, but I am starting to wonder about Bluegrass Region Warming! 😉
Boyle County- Clouds and Sun 52* Sidenote: The 12z GFS is way too cold. If it were correct my temp would be 10-15 degrees colder right now.
You should get a few good chance for at least a few inches. The further away from the fence (central KY) the better;)
Leave the gulf systems down there, since they only mean ice as “big events” for the fence.
Listen to me now and believe me later! 😉
Yes, very bad. We have a lot of businesses in that region and the were complaining of mild temps compared to previous years and no snow.
Be careful what you ask for;)
I have to go to Minnesota in late January for a staff meeting. BRRRRR!
In my opinion, we’ve got some wind-driven rain and thunderstorms coming in for Christmas Eve. I wouldn’t be surprised to see wind damage and/or fires from lightning strikes in isolated places. It’s going to feel strange visiting family with the temp. near 60.
I thought this run of the 12z gfs for early CHristmas morning was worth noticing…while its very windy and temps near 50*!!! here, check out the 32* line working into the precip. into northern LA. and Mississippi…now wouldnt that be something…LOL…snow on Christmas morning in northern La. and MIss. LOL…
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/gfs/12/images/gfs_pcp_036m.gif
It’s about 36 degrees here at East Point, but it feels colder outside.
I guess because of the snow already on the ground it feels colder.
A lot of it has melted, but in areas like mine (where the sun doesn’t hit often in the winter) there’s still quite a bit.
Will this affect any rain coming in? I am praying that no ice storms surface anywhere!
I can do without below zero temps, thank you very much.
GOOD GRIEF!!! FROM CBS SPORTS BLOG
The team looks terrible today. Cousins leaves after 4 minutes with technical (being a punk), Wall 2 fouls early, PPat missing easy ones, Bledsoe walking up and down the court 1-4 from free throw line, Miller missing wide open 3’s, and NO DEFENSIVE INTENSITY. Long Beach State is outplaying UK in every aspect of the game except the score. Hopefully second half Wall and Cousins get their acts together. Nothing worse than watching a punk play ball I hope Cal sits him the rest of the game if he tries that BS again.
……………………
I Say if dont have anything good to say DONT SAY IT AT ALL!!!…:)
Hmmmm…sounds like an agenda to me!!!..
God help us over here if we get heavy rain/high winds over here tomorrow. Still a good snow pack in some places, rivers are already high, ground is very saturated and unstable in many places, trees are weakened and more ready to fall with little help needed, damage yet still to be cleared up, and people still without power and may be without it for weeks to come even without anything else. An already bad situation looking like it could get even worse.