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Pattern Dazzling December

7 day system is plenty cold enough for snow on most models for the upstate and Western NC if we get enough precip to saturate the column. Surface temps are a little iffy, but decent rates would get us to 32. Hi-Res models will look really good when they get in range,(if we can trend towards there being measurable precip Tuesday morning.)

This system definitely has potential.

Here's a sounding from the GFS, we have well below freezing wetbulbs through the column. Just need enough precip to saturate.
 

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On a positive note I wonder what would happen if everyone in the southeast on the board was to get 30 inches of snow in one storm then would y’all be satisfied or would y’all still track snow afterwards???
We track err-thang
 
One thing that I've noticed is too much focus on where the TPV sets up and how much it phases over the Great Lakes. Look at the CMC vs. the ECM, you notice that both have the wave cutting off and separating from the main TPV around day 7. Both get them stuck in the NW. However, the main difference between the two is the heights South of Alaska. The CMC phases with the Aleutian low while the ECM has a strong Aleutian ridge that keeps the energy west and pumps a -PNA.

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When you look at the historic major storms that have hit NC, the height axis has a trough touching the west coast, pumping the western ridge. People often cite December 2010 as being the exception that a snowstorm can happen during a -PNA. However, when you look at that storm, it really has the same orientation as a +PNA. It was likely recorded as a -PNA due to the higher heights to the west of the trough.

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At the moment, I don't think we're quite there yet with a pattern that supports a major snowstorm around Christmas. We need an Aleutian trough off the west coast of the CONUS. The 18z GEFS was a major step in the right direction in terms of seeing that change. We shall see how things progress!

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Don't focus so much on the "blue" focus more so on the "red". The 2 run trend was to more Western ridging, which is good.
Agreed. Cold dropping into the PNW does not mean that it’s going to completely dump all out west. Personally I prefer some of it dropping out there and then spreading east and south because if it all drops east of the Rockies at once, you end up with what the GFS just did…. Bone dry cold and everything piece of energy squashed to the southern Gulf.
 
7 day system is plenty cold enough for snow on most models for the upstate and Western NC if we get enough precip to saturate the column. Surface temps are a little iffy, but decent rates would get us to 32. Hi-Res models will look really good when they get in range,(if we can trend towards there being measurable precip Tuesday morning.)

This system definitely has potential.

Here's a sounding from the GFS, we have well below freezing wetbulbs through the column. Just need enough precip to saturate.
We track anything deeper than frost. Heck we even track Mega Frost. Priorities!
 
Euro is probably over amplified and too slow but the clear trend is to tilt the see saw enough that we potentially warm, cut, rain. That said we could sneak something through before this happens and I wouldn't sleep on something on the back end near or shortly after Christmas when the vortex lifts
 
I put together a composite map of the best snow events in Metro Atlanta since 1960 and here's what the average 500mb height anomaly and MSLP look like.. so an "ideal":
compday.xSMVvGHyoD.gif
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Euro is probably over amplified and too slow but the clear trend is to tilt the see saw enough that we potentially warm, cut, rain. That said we could sneak something through before this happens and I wouldn't sleep on something on the back end near or shortly after Christmas when the vortex lifts
So your saying warm after Christmas
 
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