TV Delmarva CHANNEL 33 WOWZ

Tag: heavy snow

  • Historic Winter Storm to Hammer Delmarva and South Jersey; Thundersnow Possible Tonight

    Historic Winter Storm to Hammer Delmarva and South Jersey; Thundersnow Possible Tonight

    A major and potentially historic winter storm is set to bring crippling snowfall, blizzard conditions, damaging winds, and significant coastal flooding to the Delmarva Peninsula and southern New Jersey through Monday.

    The storm is rapidly intensifying as it tracks northeast along the Mid-Atlantic coast. Forecast guidance continues to show the low deepening dramatically offshore, potentially reaching near 970 millibars. This strengthening coastal system will place Delmarva and South Jersey in a prime zone for heavy snow, strong winds, and dangerous conditions.

    Heavy Snow Becoming Intense This Evening

    Light precipitation is already spreading into the region, but colder air will quickly take over this afternoon and evening. Any early rain or mix will transition to all snow as the heaviest precipitation moves in.

    Snowfall rates are expected to exceed 2 inches per hour at times tonight, especially across Delaware and southern New Jersey. Widespread totals of 1 to 2 feet are expected across much of Delmarva, with locally higher amounts possible near the Delaware and New Jersey coasts where banding sets up.

    Southern New Jersey is expected to see some of the heaviest snowfall, particularly along the coastal counties where intense snow bands may persist for several hours.

    Thundersnow Possible Tonight

    With very strong upward motion in the atmosphere and intense snow bands developing, thundersnow is possible tonight across parts of Delmarva and southern New Jersey. This rare phenomenon occurs when lightning and thunder develop within heavy snow bands, often signaling extremely heavy snowfall rates and rapidly deteriorating visibility.

    If thundersnow develops, snowfall rates could briefly become even more intense, leading to near whiteout conditions.

    Blizzard Conditions and Life-Threatening Travel

    As the storm strengthens offshore tonight, winds will ramp up significantly. Northeast winds of 20 to 35 mph will shift north and northwest into Monday, with gusts of 35 to 45 mph inland and up to 60 mph along the coast.

    The combination of heavy, wet snow and strong winds will produce blowing and drifting snow, sharply reduced visibility, and potentially impossible travel conditions. Blizzard Warnings are in effect across all of Delaware and all of New Jersey.

    Even outside of strict blizzard criteria, travel is expected to become extremely dangerous Sunday night into early Monday. Residents are strongly urged to avoid travel once conditions worsen.

    Power Outages Likely

    Snow will initially be heavy and wet, sticking to trees and power lines. Combined with strong wind gusts, this increases the risk for scattered power outages across the region.

    Coastal Flooding Expected Tonight

    In addition to snow and wind, widespread coastal flooding is expected during tonight’s high tide cycle.

    Strong onshore winds will push water into the back bays and along the Atlantic coastline of southern New Jersey and Delaware. Moderate coastal flooding is likely, with some locations potentially reaching major flood stage, especially from Ocean County, New Jersey southward through Sussex County, Delaware.

    Coastal Flood Warnings remain in effect for Atlantic and Cape May Counties in New Jersey and for Kent and Sussex Counties in Delaware.

    Another round of minor to moderate flooding may occur Monday as ocean swells remain elevated, even as winds gradually shift offshore.

    No Tidal Flooding for Maryland Eastern Shore Rivers

    While Atlantic coastal areas face significant flooding concerns, tidal flooding is not expected along the tidal Maryland Eastern Shore waterways.

  • Major Nor’easter to Bring Blizzard Conditions to Delmarva Sunday into Monday

    Major Nor’easter to Bring Blizzard Conditions to Delmarva Sunday into Monday

    A powerful late-February nor’easter is expected to significantly impact the Delmarva Peninsula from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening, bringing heavy snow, strong winds, and potentially dangerous travel conditions.

    This storm will rapidly intensify off the Mid-Atlantic coast, creating a period of heavy snowfall and localized blizzard conditions across coastal Delaware and portions of inland Sussex County.

    Heavy Snow and Strong Winds

    Snow is expected to overspread Delmarva Sunday afternoon, becoming heavy at times Sunday night into early Monday. Snowfall rates could exceed one to two inches per hour during the height of the storm.

    Total accumulations across parts of the peninsula could reach significant levels, especially closer to the Delaware beaches, where blowing and drifting snow may greatly reduce visibility.

    In addition to heavy snowfall, strong northeast winds are expected to increase through Sunday night. Wind gusts between 40 and 60+ mph could create whiteout conditions, particularly along coastal areas. These winds will also lead to significant drifting, making roads impassable in some locations.

    Travel Could Become Extremely Dangerous

    The combination of heavy snow and strong winds may produce localized blizzard conditions across coastal Delmarva. Visibility could drop below a quarter mile at times, especially during peak snowfall rates.

    Travel is expected to become very difficult Sunday night into Monday. Both the Monday morning and evening commutes could be heavily impacted if conditions worsen as expected.

    Residents are urged to limit travel to emergencies only. If travel is unavoidable, motorists should carry a winter survival kit and be prepared for rapidly deteriorating conditions.

    Power Outages Possible

    Strong winds combined with heavy, wet snow could lead to scattered power outages across Sussex County and nearby coastal communities. Tree damage is possible, particularly where snowfall accumulates on limbs before peak wind gusts arrive.

    Coastal Concerns

    Moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion are also possible along the Delaware coastline, especially during times of high tide as strong onshore flow persists.

  • Growing Threat of Significant Winter Storm for Delmarva This Weekend

    Growing Threat of Significant Winter Storm for Delmarva This Weekend

    Forecast confidence is increasing that a potentially impactful winter storm could affect the Delmarva region late Saturday through Sunday, though important details regarding track and snowfall amounts remain uncertain at this time.

    Weather patterns aloft are becoming increasingly active as we head toward the weekend, with interactions expected between northern and southern jet stream systems. The energy driving this setup is currently located over the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean, meaning it will take several more days for forecasts to fully resolve how this system evolves. Even so, most forecast guidance now consistently shows an area of low pressure developing near Texas on Friday before moving east along the Gulf Coast into Saturday.

    As the system approaches the East Coast, guidance generally favors the low tracking northeast toward the North Carolina coast before moving offshore late Sunday into early Monday. This type of track would place Delmarva on the colder, northern side of the storm, increasing the potential for winter weather impacts across the region. A key question remains how close the storm tracks to the coastline, as even small shifts could have a major influence on snowfall totals.

    A strong arctic high pressure system will be positioned to the north, supplying cold air into the Mid Atlantic. Earlier forecast guidance suggested this high might suppress the storm farther south, limiting impacts locally. However, trends over the past 12 to 24 hours show the storm track edging farther north, increasing the likelihood that precipitation spreads into Delmarva.

    Snow probabilities have responded accordingly. Current guidance now indicates a 75 to 95 percent chance of at least 2 inches of snow and a 70 to 85 percent chance of 6 inches or more for areas along and south of the Interstate 95 corridor, with probabilities decreasing farther north.

    Even more impressive with NBM blends of >12 inches of snow are between 50-60% as of this morning. These numbers are notably higher than those from previous forecast cycles and point toward a growing signal for a meaningful winter weather event.

    If this storm materializes, snowfall could begin late Saturday and continue through Sunday, with the potential for lingering impacts into Monday depending on how quickly the system moves away. While confidence in exact snowfall totals remains low, the overall signal for a winter storm affecting at least part of Delmarva is stronger than typically seen at this lead time.

    It is important to note that East Coast winter storms often produce narrow bands of heavy snow, sometimes only 50 to 100 miles wide. With the storm’s key ingredients still thousands of miles away, it is far too early to determine which specific locations will see the highest accumulations. Residents across Delmarva should continue to monitor forecast updates closely over the coming days as details become clearer.

  • Snow Squalls Could Create Hazardous New Year’s Eve Travel Across Delmarva, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

    Snow Squalls Could Create Hazardous New Year’s Eve Travel Across Delmarva, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

    Drivers across Delmarva, Maryland, and much of Pennsylvania are being urged to use caution this New Year’s Eve as a strong Arctic cold front moves through the region, bringing the potential for sudden snow squalls and dangerous travel conditions. While snowfall amounts are expected to be brief and localized, the intensity of these squalls could quickly reduce visibility to near zero and lead to slick, snow-covered roadways in a matter of minutes.

    Forecasters say the greatest risk for snow squalls will develop this evening across western and central Pennsylvania before shifting east overnight into eastern Pennsylvania, northern Maryland, and parts of Delmarva. The squalls may be accompanied by gusty winds, creating whiteout conditions along major travel routes including Interstates 76, 81, 83, 95, and portions of U.S. Route 13 across the Delmarva Peninsula.

    Timing is a major concern, as the snow squalls could impact travel during peak New Year’s Eve festivities and late-night returns home. In Maryland, areas north of the Baltimore Washington corridor stand the best chance of seeing brief but intense snow bursts overnight, while Delmarva may see fast-moving squalls or snow showers capable of briefly coating roadways, particularly in northern and interior sections in the early morning hours.

    Even though total snowfall amounts will be limited, the rapid drop in temperatures behind the front could allow any moisture on roadways to freeze quickly, increasing the risk of icy conditions. Motorists may encounter rapidly changing visibility and road conditions with little advance warning.

    Looking ahead, much colder air settling in behind the front will fuel lake-effect snow across western and north-central Pennsylvania through Friday. While this will not directly impact Delmarva or most of Maryland, it could lead to continued travel disruptions for those heading north or west after the holiday.

    Officials urge drivers to slow down, increase following distance, and avoid unnecessary travel during squalls. Snow squalls are often short-lived but can be just as dangerous as longer-duration winter storms, especially during busy holiday travel periods.

  • Winter Storm Safety: Delaware State Police and DelDOT Issue Snow Safety Tips

    Winter Storm Safety: Delaware State Police and DelDOT Issue Snow Safety Tips

    Dover DE:

    As the snow continues to fall across Delaware, state officials are emphasizing safety measures for all residents. The Delaware State Police have issued a series of guidelines aimed at keeping motorists safe during the winter weather:

    • Stay Home if Possible: If you can avoid travel, do so. Conditions can be unpredictable and hazardous.
    • Drive Cautiously: For those who must travel, slow down, keep a safe distance from other vehicles, and ensure your vehicle is free of snow and ice to prevent accidents.
    • Emergency Preparedness: Carry an emergency kit in your car with items like blankets, a flashlight, food, and water. Check road conditions via official channels before setting out.
    • Respect Snow Plows: Do not attempt to pass or crowd snow removal vehicles. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) crews are diligently working to clear the roads, and they need space to operate safely.

    DelDOT has expressed gratitude towards their crews for their relentless efforts during the storm, urging the public to assist by not crowding the plows.

    The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) also reminds everyone to check on neighbors, particularly the elderly or those who might need assistance during this time.

    With these safety tips in mind, Delawareans are encouraged to take extra precautions as the winter weather persists. Your safety, and the safety of those around you, is paramount.

  • Snowfall Forecast Regrading Thursday & Friday

    Snowfall Forecast Regrading Thursday & Friday

    Another light to moderate snow event is on the table going into later Thursday and Friday all thanks to a Clipper system sliding to our south. And then redeveloping off of our coastlines bringing back a inverted trough through northern Delmarva and Southern New Jersey. Enough to make for a plowable snow event for the region.

    Snow could become heavy at times north of Dover once the energy begins to transfer off the coastal of New Jersey. When this happens, a potential inverted trough or “trowal” develops with a corridor of enhanced moisture pointing back towards the coast.

    What is a trowal exactly? (warning it’s term heavy) A trowal is a trough of warm air aloft. Typically used during winter weather, it is a “tongue” of relatively warm/moist air aloft that wraps around to the north and west of a mature cyclone. It is best analyzed between 750-550 millibars using equivalent potential temperature (theta-e). Areas of intense lift and frontogenesis are commonly associated with TROWALs, hence they are favored regions for heavy and/or prolonged precipitation. During a winter storm, the heaviest snowfall amounts frequently occur along and north of the TROWAL axis.

    This area will have the greatest shot of getting near that 5 inch mark throughout the day on Friday. Snow will move in during the predawn hours Friday and continue into the evening hours.

    Still will be seen across much of the region before a big warm up trend will be arriving towards next week. Heaviest amounts of 2-5″ will be likely across Northern Maryland, Northern Delmarva, and most of Southern New Jersey. Further south will be dealing with less precipitation overall with the primary axis of moisture will be positioned just to north. Subsequently with lesser amounts over all but that can change depending on the track of this TROWAL and low placement in later outlooks.

  • Another Winter Storm Looming To Close Out January?

    Another Winter Storm Looming To Close Out January?

    ECMWF Ensemble Low Plots from 00z

    Seems like every weekend this past month we are talking about another snow threat one after another. The only difference is that this one could become a powerful low off our coasts going into Friday and Saturday. With this being the end of the active weather pattern and signs showing for the persistent eastern trough will come to close with a more zonal flow (west to east parallel motion of the jet stream). Ensembles have been very persistent about a coastal low about 200 miles offshore with explosive development (aka bombcyclone) scenario with a rapidly intensifying oceanic storm that moves across the Gulf Stream. And some of these low placement strengths are nothing to take for granted. A good 80% of them are below 986mb pressure levels when its off our coast. By the time it’s off the coast of Cape Cod we are talking down into the 970s.

    Major Global Model Outputs For This Storm

    With a bit of surprise, there is actually some good agreement between the 3 major global models regarding this storm. ECMWF/GFS/CMC/ICON are on the table for a rapidly intensifying storm off our coasts this coming weekend. The biggest difference is how far offshore will it actually be. Every model without a doubt has a round of snow to the region but how close that low is will make a major difference. CMC/ICON are the most offshore out of the bunch with some light precipitation to the region and then dumping over coastal New England. GFS model coming in at 12z is a little bit westward giving Delmarva a good hit with snow. And then the big elephant of the group the ECMWF and the ensembles being very aggressive with a the furthest west solution giving all of Delmarva a major winter storm. And the ECMWF has been very consistent with that. Some of the ensembles give historic levels of snow but that’s extremely far fetched in my opinion.

    Overall do I think we have a explosive developing oceanic storm? That’s on the increase for sure to close out the weather pattern. It’s going to be a matter of how close will this get to our coast will make the big difference. We have the cold air in place ahead of this system to begin with. It’s something that we will be keeping an eye on this week.

  • Winter’s 1-2 Punch To Finish Out The Week

    Winter’s 1-2 Punch To Finish Out The Week

    HRRR Futurecast Only Until 7am Thursday

    Let’s first begin with the snow threat going into Thursday morning. We will be having a arctic front that will be slowing sinking southward across the Mid-Atlantic taking temperatures in the 40’s down to subfreezing. In addition with a transition of rain to snow behind that front with a weak disturbance riding along this front. Some of the high resolution model guidance have a good agreement that a changeover is expected during the morning hours Thursday.

    Cluster of Models Regarding The Snow Threat Thursday Morning

    Now i don’t expect anything significant regarding accumulations with this one but some could pick up a light accumulation. Especially those further north on the shore. We could be looking at some slippery travel in the area during the morning commute Thursday. Colder temperatures will continue to plummet throughout Thursday into Friday just in time for the second and maybe even more significant threat.

    Arctic Front Settling Thursday-Friday

    When the passes through we are going to see a fresh supply of arctic air with temperatures dropping down into the teens Thursday night and really struggling to get anywhere near 30 on Friday. This is setting up the stage for round number 2.

    Model Solutions Regarding Snow Threat Friday-Saturday

    Now this is where the really messy situation begins. Unlike the last bigger snow threat to Delmarva, we have some of the best model consensus I have seen in quite some time which made it easy. Well it’s back to the confusing nightmare once again. So let’s break things down into groups.

    ECMWF/ECMWF ENSEMBLES/UKMET/NAM

    This group is the very aggressive solutions where we are showing a January 3rd snowstorm repeat across much of the region. Snow and a lot of it too. With the phasing of two jet streams allowing for a low to develop down in the Gulf Of Mexico and move off the Carolina coast. With a strong 1038mb high to north keeping that fresh arctic air locked in. This is a snow lovers dream with a textbox major snowstorm for the Mid-Atlantic. The EURO model has been very persistent with this solution for the last several days but for awhile it was alone in that matter. The recent NAM model even though its not out far enough to really see the impacts, but its very aggressive and further northwest. UKMET has a limited amount of products we have access too but its also following the more northwest solution. Now going into the ensembles, there is a very tight agreement in low placements with the 52 members of this model. With some heavy hitting more reliable models getting on board with this solution, it’s something to take note of for sure.

    Messy Solution With Multiple Energy Pieces Not Phasing

    GFS/RGEM/CMC

    Now this group of models keeping all the pieces of energy separate with a much weaker and suppressed solution. We are going to have model runs like because there is so many different pieces these models are going to have to figure out what to do with them. Not 1, or 2, but 3 vort maxes in play. I’m going to be honest especially with the GFS model, It’s creating some very unrealistic movements with that northern piece of energy near Ohio by ejecting that straight east even though its pashing with that southern one near the Gulf States. Can that still happen? Of course but it’s on the low end of my scale right now. We really need a aircraft to sample the upper atmosphere in the next day or so to be ingested to these models so we can get a bit of better censuses. They did this for the storm occurring for MLK day and that’s why we had a major shift in the track to being much more inland.

    Overall Thoughts

    As it stands now for Friday into Saturday, we have a lot time to work out the kinks and we are going to be seeing some back and forth movement with solutions until we get these pieces of energy into range of observational data and or a aircraft to do research into the atmosphere the next 24 hours. I will be keeping a very close eye on this one that’s for sure.

  • Snowfall Forecast For Monday (Updated (9:30pm)

    Snowfall Forecast For Monday (Updated (9:30pm)

    Snowfall Forecast Valid For Monday (Subject To Change)

    Do not let these warm conditions fool you of the arctic snap that’s on our doorsteps today. With a very significant shift in the forecast trending towards the potential biggest storm in the region since 2019. Around this time in 24 hours, we will see a 30-35 degree temperature drop once the arctic front settles in from the north to the region.

    Futurecast Radar

    The main focus mechanism will be a lobe breaking off from the Sub-Tropical Jet Stream that will begin to interact with the stalling out arctic front. The thermodynamic difference along this front will help generate a strong baroclinic forcing. An area of low pressure will begin to intensify later this evening and track just off the coast of the Carolinas. Moisture will then start running into the arctic air mass (overrunning) creating a fairly narrowband of moderate snow to overspread areas from central Virginia into the Delmarva region.

    500mb Vorticity Forecast ECMWF
    Excellent agreement between all model consensus

    For a rare set of parameters, there has been exceptional agreement between ALL model guidance regarding several inches of snow to the region. Some big contenders like the ECMWF (European model) showing some fairly significant snow to the region. GFS being the most robust out of all them showing a foot plus. Although that’s being really extreme and not likely at this time, but we have a great average of 4-8 blend with all the guidance at this time. Subject to chance of course for the difference in small fluctuations on axis and location.

    Winter Storm Warnings / Winter Weather Advisories

    I get a lot of questions and concerns when it comes to the sudden temperature drop and ground temperatures. On the first onset of precipitation, intensity will be key. Just because we were in the 60’s the last few days, falling snow can quickly cool off ground temperatures with the heavier intensity of snowfall. Same with roadways. Snow will be beginning to fall during the pre dawn hours and continue into the afternoon hours.

    Let’s not forget the night after if we have snow cover on the ground. With the arctic air mass settling in and fresh snow cover, temperatures will tank significantly during the overnight hours with clear skies. The snow will act as a blanket keeping the ground temperatures from warming the surface air temperature. Think of it like a cooler with ice in it, the air above the ice is extremely cold but underneath is above freezing. Depending on snow depth covering the ground, temperatures could drop down into the single digits.

    We will continue to provide updates on this potential winter storm going into tomorrow.