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Tuesday Night In The Wx Office

| January 5, 2010 @ 9:06 pm | 58 Replies

Sitting back tonight watching the 00Z upper air data rolling in, watching our storm get its act together up north, and to a lesser degree, watching the 00Z computer models rolling in.

At this phase of the game, I like to look at observed weather more than model output; if you can see the storm out the window it sure means you need to take a good long look.

The storm is developing as forecast, with snow rather widespread across the High Plains tonight. Many of you know I am on radio stations around the nation, and I have stations in both Indianapolis and Cincinnati. A winter storm watch is up for both places; I figure Indy will see 4 to 7 inches from this, with 2 to 4 inches for Cincy.

A few random thoughts…

*For those of you asking about school closings Thursday, that decision will not be made until tomorrow night. Everybody will be open tomorrow, but we do note Coosa County schools will be opening later than usual due to the very cold early morning temperatures.

*This is not going to be a major winter storm Thursday. Rumors are flying about comparisons to 1993. You will see a storm like the March 1993 blizzard only once in a lifetime, most likely. I don’t even think this one will bring as much snow as we saw back on March 1 of this year. In the overall scheme of things, one to two inches of snow is not a big time storm.

*Having said that, with the ground and highway infrastructure so cold, we will have slick spots developing Thursday evening into Friday morning. The main problems will be bridges, and secondary roads that are not sanded that go over ridges and mountains.

*We introduced a new live chat here on the blog this week. You can access it here; unfortunately we are slammed with production duties and can’t be there often, but we will try to let you know when we can get over there to answer questions.

*There is always a surprise or two when it comes to snow events in Alabama. Some folks will be delighted with the snow they get, others very disappointed. I have to wonder what those surprises will be this time.

I will grab a nap after the 10:00 news, and have the morning discussion and Weather Xtreme video online by 6:30 a.m. Stay warm tonight!

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About the Author ()

James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.

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