Altoona, Pennsylvania
The forecast today again takes us to western Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania seems to have a lot of individual metropolitan areas.
At 1253PM, ET Altoona was reporting a temperature of 26 degrees with clear skies. Lake effect snow and ceilings were being seen west of the Allegheny Mountains, but Altoona, on the eastern slope, was kept clear and dry and stood a good chance of climbing above freezing this afternoon.
High pressure was in charge for the time being in the eastern third of the country, but the jet was running through the center of the country before troughing near the Georgia coast. Over the coming days, Altoona will get squeezed by two massive systems, the first a potential Nor'easter developing over the Gulf Stream off the Carolina coast. The second is a massive storm that has been bringing dozens of feet of snow to the Sierras in California, as well as heavy rain and snow, though with not as impressive totals to the California coast and interior Rockies. The Nor'easter continues to trend further east and is unlikely to inflict its wrath on Altoona, however it will continue to generate northerly flow and flurries over far western PA. A bit of energy will break free from the Pineapple Express out west and find it's way through the northern Plains into the eastern Great Lakes by Tuesday, when they have a chance to get some accumulating snow late in the day in Altoona.
Tomorrow - Partly to mostly cloudy, High 28, Low 13
Tuesday - Chance for some evening snow, accumulating to an inch High 29, Low 15
TWC: Tomorrow - Considerable cloudiness High 24, Low 15
Tuesday - A few snow showers. High 25, Low 18
AW: Tomorrow - Mostly cloudy and cold High 28, Low 13
Tuesday - Mostly cloudy with a chance for a bit of snow or flurries High 30, Low 15
NWS: Tomorrow - Scattered snow showers High 27, Low 14
Tuesday - Light snow likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, High 30, Low 16
WB: Tomorrow - Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers in the morning...then becoming partly sunny with occasional flurries in the afternoon High 28, Low 14
Tuesday - Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of light snow High 32, Low 16
The models are stunningly disparate with Altoona's forecast. I went more with the GFS because of how it has handled the first 6 hours of the of the forecast period, and I like what it does with the Nor'easter much more. The NAM, the other model, bring the Nor'easter way inland which stanches the progress of the bit of energy I expect to bring snow to Altoona on Tuesday (and dumps another half foot or more of snow in the Twin Cities). Anyways, here is a look at the current satellite, with both major systems clearly demarcated on the map.
