More snow? Rock Hill region could get one more weekend of it
A third straight weekend of snowfall looms for the Rock Hill area, forecasters say.
A storm system that is predicted to develop Friday off the Carolinas coast stands a good chance of bringing at least a dusting of snow to the region, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Rodney Hinson.
This weekend’s system would come on the heels of a Jan. 16 storm that brought snow, sleet sand freezing rain to the area, and then last Friday evening’s snowfall.
This weekend’s storm system is expected to develop into a full-fledged nor’easter eventually, possibly bringing blizzard conditions to parts of the Mid-Atlantic or New England, forecasters say.
On top of all that, very cold weather and gusty north winds are expected across the Rock Hill area Saturday and into Sunday.
Meteorologists say precipitation likely will begin as rain across the Rock Hill area Friday evening, then change to snow.
As is almost always the case, the various computer models used by meteorologists are showing different scenarios for how much snow will fall.
But Hinson says computer guidance seems to be closer to agreement that some snow will be seen late Friday night and early Saturday.
“Confidence is increasing for mountain snow and some snow outside the mountains, especially the I-40 and I-77 corridors,” Hinson said. “However, confidence is low on amounts.”
Averaging the various computer-generated predictions shows a snowfall of 1 inch or less in the Rock Hill area.
But, Hinson noted, “As always, things can change. So stay abreast of the latest forecasts.”
Forecasters are more certain about the cold and wind chill problems Saturday.
As the storm system intensifies and moves up the East Coast, it is expected to develop a large and powerful circulation. That, forecasters say, will bring gusty north winds and cold air into the Rock Hill area Saturday.
High temperatures are not expected to climb out of the 30s, and forecasters say wind chills will be in the teens. Winds could gust to 30 mph Saturday.
The good news is that the recent cold pattern is expected to change next week.
The large trough (or dip in the jet stream) is forecast to move from the eastern United States to the west. High pressure is predicted to develop in the East, and that will warm things up.
The National Weather Service is predicting a high likelihood of above-average temperatures in the Carolinas through at least the first week of February.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
