Greenville, South Carolina to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We are approaching Christmas, and to celebrate, we have a one day road trip. There is some weather looming for the route in question, but for now, the pace for the 542 mile trek is going to be about 66mph. We’re spending the most time in West Virginia on this trip, so you know there are going to be hills.

Greenville, South Carolina

Low pressure will be moving from the Gulf of Mexico to the Bight of Georgia overnigh.t. Heaviest precipitation will be downstate, but there will be significant rain coming from the region. There might be a bit of clearing shortly after we leave Greenville, but it will catch up, as this feature is really moving. The thereat for rain will undulate through the day, but will become steady, albeit lighter as we cross from West Virginia to Pennsylvania. There is an inverted trough that isn’t bringing the robust moisture that we will follow north to Pittsburgh, but it does offer some measure of reliability. Fortunately, it will still be too warm for snow, so expect some more light rain as we proceed into Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pre Christmas storm ready to batter the East Coast

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A strong area of low pressure is coming out of the Gulf of Mexico is presently leading to a slight risk of severe weather across the Florida, with wind and tornadoes possible in the Sunshine State overnight tonight. The storm will cross north Florida overnight tonight and track into the Carolina Plains by the end of the day tomorrow.

The storm will continue northward, with the center of the storm moving north through the Hudson River Valley on Monday morning, eventually arriving in Canada by nightfall. Storms will be possible tonight in Florida, as I noted, and along the Carolina coast tomorrow, with the severe threat winding down as the system smashes New York and New England.

One thing to note is the track of the storm. With these coastal storms, the warm side is to the east, the cold to the west. With the center of the storm expected to pass over New York and head northward, the entirety of New England will be in the warm sector for the storm until the heaviest of the precipitation is through. This is going to be a wind and rain event for the largest population centers.

Without a deep cold trough, the heavily accumulating snow is going to come for the Appalachians and down stream from Lake Erie. This snow will also wait until after the main thrust of the season is in the Maritimes, and will be related to the post system flow from the northwest.

The last work week of 2023 is going to be fairly unpleasant for a lot of people, and will slow down travel plans, but it could be worse. This is a strong fall like system, and not a true winter nor’easter. While travel will be slowed, it will bounce back quickly with plenty of time for the holiday.

Salisbury, Maryland to Chattanooga, Tennessee

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We were very close to a route requiring use of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel that connects the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula with the Virginia Beach area. Instead, we will slice through Washington and head right for the mountains. Depending on the time of da you run the route, you will get a variety of different options. Running it during rush hour makes it an 11 hour trek right through the heart of our Nation’s Capital, covering 721 miles. That is a pace of about 64.9mph, which is better than I expected. The route will be scenic, so let’s enjoy it, traffic and all.

Salisbury, Maryland

Taking a trip through DC and the mountains probably couldn’t be happening at a better time. Congress is about to call it a year, ensuring DC traffic will be significantly less burdensome, while the weather itself is going to be about as cooperative as it gets. A big ol’ dome of high pressure is planted over the Carolinas, and is bringing sunshine and unseasonably warm air to the Eastern Seaboard. It’s hard to complain about this kind of weather. Hold on tight after you get to Chattanooga, though. A strong system is organizing in the Gulf of Mexico, and will be very problematic to begin the week next week. Not a problem for this forecast, however!

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Lewiston, Maine to Salisbury, Maryland

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This is going to be a 1 day trip that will touch 8 states! Sure, it will be a long 1 day, but that is still pretty incredible, considering we will be covering just 570 miles. Driving through the urban landscape of New England and the Mid-Atlantic, we’ll also only be slugging along at a 57mph pace. Plenty of time to take in all the sites.

Lewiston, Maine

Low pressure is looming as we approach mid-December. Winter has been slow in coming to the country, but a taste of it is going to be wrapping around on the northwestern side of this system. That does not include any part of our route through the East Coast’s largest cities. There appears to be a closure on the GW Bridge which might affect our route, but for the weather, this would just mean the southerly wind would be on our left rather than a headwind. Heck it might be warm enough in Salisbury to take a quick trip to the beach after we arrive, but before thar rain eventually gets there.

Salisbury, Maryland

Temperatures don’t dip so dramatically

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We looked at Flagstaff in the last week of November, and found that temperatures were not what we would expect when thinking of Arizona. High temperatures in northern Arizona were about what the forecasters expected, but they were off the mark when we looked at the lows. Most outlets had the low dropping into the teens, but on the 27th and 28th, they were actually only in the mid 20s. Sure, not what you expect in Arizona, but also not quite as cold as meteorologists expected. Ironically, Weatherbug, who tends to skew towards the cooler side, ended up with the best forecast on a day where things were warmer than anticipated.
Actuals: Monday November 27th, High 40, Low 26
Tuesday November 28th, High 46, Low 20

Grade: A – C

Not much snow yet

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I noted the storm getting ready to move into New England over the next 48 hours, but what I didn’t note was that interior New England is one of the few places across the country that already has snow on the ground. If you want snow, you had better also have a mountain or an upwind Great Lake.

Another note to the storm headed to New England… The element that is supposed to be introducing the cold air isn’t even cold enough for snow in Michigan. Rain is expected overnight through much of lower Michigan