*****UPDATE****
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS WARNING OF 7 TO 14 INCHES OF SNOW. 4:07 PM 2/8/10
The weather forecast is becoming more ominous for our area. 2 storm systems are converging. One storm is coming in from the north and the other from the south. They are predicted to meet over the Atlantic Ocean, right off the coast as 2 low pressure systems. The end result doesn’t sound good at all.
Between 5-10 inches of new snow is predicted from this storm. While not carrying the moisture that Snowmaggedon contained, this storm is predicted to be more meteorologically intense with much higher winds. According to the Capital Weather Gang at the Washington Post:
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
When will the snow start? Between mid-day and mid-afternoon tomorrow.
When it will end? Probably around late afternoon Wednesday — later north and east.
How much?: Our best bet is 5-10″ in the metro region, but 8-14″ as you head north and east towards Baltimore. South and southwest of the Fairfax County, 3-6″ is most likely.
Could it be more or less? Yes. Double digit totals (10″ or more) remain a possibility throughout the metro region (25% chance). By the same token, if the coastal storm forms too far north, lighter amounts from 1-5″ or so might do it.
How bad will the winds be? By very late Tuesday night and into Wednesday, sustained winds may reach 25-35 mph, with higher gusts. Assuming there is falling snow, this could create blizzard conditions.
This new storm spells trouble and danger, People will be out of work, kids will be out of school. People who work hourly will not get paid. High winds put power lines and trees at further risk. Roofs will be further stressed. Municipalities and VDOT will be further strapped with snow removal costs as crews continue their round the clock pushing, digging and scraping. Power workers will continue to work to get electricity back on. Some folks will be a week without power when all of this is over. It is a dangerous time of year to be without electricity. Even those with gas heat won’t have it because there will be nothing to run the fans.
Let’s hope this prediction is wrong.
On a sad note, Rep. John Murtha has died of complications of gall bladder surgery. He was 77 years old.
