DELMARVA FORECAST
Wednesday night: Clear and chilly. Frost likely. Lows in the mid 20s.
Thursday: A mix of sun and clouds. Becoming breezy, with winds from the northwest at 5 to 15 mph. Highs in the mid to upper 40s.
Friday: Cloudy with wintry mix or snow showers. Up to 2" of snow possible. Highs in the upper 30s. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 40s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 40s.
Monday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of a rain or snow shower. Cold. Highs in the upper 30s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs around 40°F.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
Normal high: 53°F. Normal low: 34°F.
Cold weather continues with a chance for wintry precipitation on Friday.
High pressure has settled into the Mid-Atlantic region, which has brought us sunny, albeit chilly conditions for our Wednesday.
The high will slide to the east on Thursday as a dry cold front crosses the region late Thursday. We'll see lots of sun to start the day Thursday, but then clouds will increase, especially in the evening. The cold front will bring a reinforcing shot of cold air for Friday.
Then we watch for a low pressure system that will develop in the Mid South that will travel east and pass just south of Delmarva on Friday. Precipitation is expected on Friday, some of which could be snow. We're not expecting a major snow event, since temperatures during the day, while cold, will likely be a few degrees above freezing. What we'll need to watch for, which happens on Delmarva, is a shower that drops a burst of rain or wet snow that rapidly cools the air (due to evaporative cooling). With dew points Friday expected down within a degree or two of freezing, this means that some locations on Delmarva could pick up a quick inch or two of snow.
For timing of wintry weather, we're looking at snow showers in the morning, mixing in with rain showers in the afternoon before changing to all rain showers by evening.
This will not be a major winter weather event, but some slick roads are possible Friday.
Then the weekend is shaping up to be dry, with partly to mostly cloudy skies.
Another storm system could pass to our south sometime around Monday, but latest guidance keeps it far enough south that we likely won't see much, if any precipitation.
Temperatures will be quite cold to start the next work week.
In the long range, temperatures are expected to average below normal, and precipitation near normal for December 10 - December 16.