Dangerously Cold Temps Christmas Weekend, Snow Chances Are Iffy

Posted on Monday, December 19, 2022 @ 11:01 amMonday, December 19, 2022 @ 11:01 am by Elan

Today through the majority of Thursday will be “nice” as temps reach the upper 40’s, maybe even low 50’s. Dry. Not too shabby.

Thursday night, temperatures are expected to plummet into the single digits/low teens. Temperatures will likely stay below freezing until midday Monday. This will leave us with dangerous conditions. It’s time to start preparing now, especially if you are heading out of town.

If you're leaving town for the holidays, consider dripping your faucets. Maybe give your contact info to a neighbor in case there's a problem and they need to act quickly.

Bring pets into a warm space.

Check on elderly neighbors to make sure they get safely back indoors. https://t.co/hfvAvl7gES
— NashSevereWx (@NashSevereWx) December 18, 2022

Follow the 4 P’s.

Cold weather? Remember the 4 P's. People: Bundle up, cover exposed skin. Check on children, the elderly, & anyone else especially vulnerable during cold conditions. Plants: Bring in potted plants if possible. Cover sensitive plants that must remain outside. Pets: Bring them inside! Pets that must be left outside should have an enclosed shelter. Pipes: Allow water to drip from indoor faucets. Cover any exposed pipes outside. Visit weather.gov/safety/cold for more tips and resources.

Along with the cold temperatures, winds Thursday night and Friday will be howling, with sustained winds around 15-20mph, with gusts up to 35-40mph. This will make temperatures feel a lot worse, with wind chill values as low as ten degrees below zero. Wind chill values may not get above zero degrees at any point on Friday.

Now to snow chances.

Thursday afternoon/evening it’ll start to rain while temperatures are still well above freezing. The cold air will be playing catch up with the moisture. It looks like it will be able to, but the question is for how long? The GFS is starting to lean a little more toward the Euro, which would mean less snow. However, confidence is still fairly low. If snow falls, it’ll likely stick. Prepare for minor travel impacts. Higher-res models will start to get in range later today and tomorrow, always nice to have more opinions.

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