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Jan. 17-18, 2026 SE Winter Weather Threat

I’ve seen this model floated quite a bit. Frankly, what is it? This one is new for me.

As Snowfan mentioned, it is the NAM's eventual replacement. However, the RRFS in its current state will also be replaced by the MPAS core (current, FV3). MPAS does better in many evaluations against the FV3 core, especially with precipitation handling which the rufus has had problems overamplifying.
 
The hardest hit areas of Upstate are below 85. And we would be so deserving of this to be reality. We have been in the ultimate screw zone for so long. Haven't had more than 3 inches in one storm in a decade.
Eric Webb makes some very good points regarding this. Overrunning setups usually just doesn't favor the Carolinas side of things. Look at 2017, one of the best analogs for this system. Favored the Carolinas, and last 48 or so hours it trended straight to GA, AL, MS. Not that the rest of winter wont have more shots for the carolinas.
 
Icon went East. The amount of disagreement with the modeling is crazy


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Models like ICON, Especially global models are not going to be handling this tilt right. Chances are this tilts quite a bit more negatively than ICON shows which is why this will likely trend NW last moment.
 
Eric Webb makes some very good points regarding this. Overrunning setups usually just doesn't favor the Carolinas side of things. Look at 2017, one of the best analogs for this system. Favored the Carolinas, and last 48 or so hours it trended straight to GA, AL, MS. Not that the rest of winter wont have more shots for the carolinas.
Uh, overrunning is great for the Carolinas when there's a High Pressure to the north. CAD storms are the best when you stay cold enough to avoid the sleet and ice.
 
NWS GSP Afternoon AFD Official Guidance

Key message 4: We continue to monitor the evolution of model
guidance for Saturday night and Sunday with some interest, given
the consistent GFS depiction of snow potential, but a lack of
consistency between models keeps confidence low.

Another short wave diving into the central CONUS will deepen the
upper trough to our west Saturday night. The short wave and trof
axis cross the area on Sunday. This creates cyclogenesis off the
Carolina coast along the frontal boundary from Saturday. Southerly
flow develops Saturday night with increasing moisture and isentropic
lift across the area. Deep layer forcing and frontogenesis takes
place as well. All of the guidance pretty much agrees on this,
although with some differences where the axis of heaviest precip
develops. They also disagree on the amount of cold air available
when the precip develops. The NAM has come in with enough cold air
and precip for accumulating snow across the area. The GFS remains
cold enough for snow; however, it has shifted the precip axis to our
east limiting the amount of significant snow to our southern and
eastern CWFA boundary. The Canadian remains warm enough for rain for
all the mountains but has shifted the precip axis to the east. The
ECMWF continues to be cold enough, but is basically dry with all the
precip to our east. The GEFS mean continues to shift the precip axis
east but has enough for light snow over our area. The Canadian
ensemble mean also trends with light snow at most. Therefore,
confidence remains low but the chance of accumulating snow
continues. The model blend, and our forecast given the uncertainty,
shows an inch of snow basically along and east of a Greenwood-
Spartanburg-Hickory line with lower amounts to the west. The
eventual result will be highly dependent on the precip axis and cold
air availability, so keep up with the latest forecasts for likely
changes
 
You should already be concerned about temps in NC....its going to be extremely hard in the lower levels for you guys, especially with the trend of this consolidating more and introducing more WAA/moisture.
The thing is, both of those would help to dynamically cool the column. Seen it a number of times here over the years in very marginal set ups.
 
The trend for 5 straight runs is higher heights out in front, every single run has raised heights ahead of shortwave on the rgem


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Model trends are madding and all over the place still so much time to go if your within 100 miles of main axis of snow some models have shown your not out yet because shifts are all over. RGEM past 3 runs catching up and more expensive... I will reframe from the RGEM Temp matter and just focus on precip for now

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I've got a big feeling that we are going to potentially see a true Hi-RES vs global thing here. The NAM and RRFS are already showing that now. Will be interesting when we come into the CAMs range and HRRR.

HRRR has interestingly ticked west of its 12z F048 guidance in its newest run, too.

I do feel we're getting to that point.
 
Uh, overrunning is great for the Carolinas when there's a High Pressure to the north. CAD storms are the best when you stay cold enough to avoid the sleet and ice.
Yeah I didn't specify that, there isn't really a CAD in place for this one though. Really relying on a cold front that often lags behind on the mountains there. More specifically WAA overruns the CAD
 
I’d like my chances with this if I was NE of Atlanta in NE GA so up thru the mountains & foothills of the Apps in NC and possibly even SW VA

Lots to like about where these folks are sitting right now.

When it comes to overrunning style winter storms, I’d much rather be worried about precip occurring than getting the cold air in time, because the precip almost always verifies much higher than forecast.
 
I’d like my chances with this if I was NE of Atlanta in NE GA so up thru the mountains & foothills of the Apps in NC and possibly even SW VA

Lots to like about where these folks are sitting right now.

When it comes to overrunning style winter storms, I’d much rather be worried about precip occurring than getting the cold air in time, because the precip almost always verifies much higher than forecast.
Man, just gotta hope. We're in a crazy snow drought down here in Northeast GA. Really got dry slotted last year too in both systems.
 
I’d like my chances with this if I was NE of Atlanta in NE GA so up thru the mountains & foothills of the Apps in NC and possibly even SW VA

Lots to like about where these folks are sitting right now.

When it comes to overrunning style winter storms, I’d much rather be worried about precip occurring than getting the cold air in time, because the precip almost always verifies much higher than forecast.
What I'd like to know is what would be the explanation of this outcome instead of something like what happened last year happening. What're the indicators that it would and examples that it could? I'm starting to lean everywhere north of 85 gets shafted again with this storm entirely based on a too positive tilt in and not enough ridge to push this system more neutral fast enough
 
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