Updated modeled Snow Depth for the Continental U.S. on 12/19/2017 from NOHRSC.
Overall, snow cover has increased this past week, just in time for the holidays. Shown above are modeled snow depth totals for Tuesday, December 19th. In the west, snow cover has increased with lower elevations gaining cover. Totals have also increased at higher elevations. Northeast and the Great Lakes region have increased their snow depths by a few inches, and trail conditions are improving in the northern tier of these areas. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and upper New York all have a decent depth of snow at around 10 inches.
Forecast:
GFS model forecast for Saturday, 12/23/17. Source: NOAA
High hopes of a white holiday? While likely in the north and at higher elevations out west, a chilly holiday looks more likely. Arctic air will spill into the US and then eventually spread into the Midwest/Great Lakes area. In the immediate future, a system will impact the Northern Plains bringing up to 6” of snow in ND. There will also be increased likelihood of snow for the Northwest by the middle of this week as an upper-level system will bring in moisture from the Pacific.
For the Northeast, more snow should make for a nice holiday. A surface low is forecast to move east from the Midwest into New England, with snow on the north side of this system. While snow is fairly certain for this area, the big question is how far south (and west) this will extend. This has led to a number of overly optimistic forecasts in the past week on social media that have predicted large snow totals in other cities such as Minneapolis, MN.
Forecasted Snow Totals:
12/19/2017 GFS model forecast for snowfall accumulation for 7 days out. Source Harris WeatherCaster TM.
Enjoy your holiday! Get outside and ride on your time off! As always, safe sledding!
-Megan
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