Thursday, February 26, 2009

Complex Weather Pattern this Weekend

Our weather in central Virginia will take a 180-degree turn this weekend, with several factors at work across the Mid-Atlantic. An area of high pressure over eastern Canada and New England will funnel cold air down the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains and into central Virginia, ending our short-lived bout of early Spring temperatures. At the same time, a strong upper-level disturbance will develop across the Southeast U.S. and will become cut off from the main flow. The cut-off nature of this system will make it difficult to nail down the exact timing and track this far ahead, but it appears parts of the Southeast could see the first snow so far this season. The associated surface low will track just offshore up the Eastern Seaboard, and could spread snow into far eastern Virginia on Tuesday.