I hope you are enjoying this mild weather, because there is little doubt that it will come to an abrupt end late Thursday. Over the weekend, I saw some -40 readings up in N.W. Canada, and that air is still sinking southward.

Take a look at this link. It is a high definition camera on a mountain over the beautiful village of Banff in Alberta. I have been watching the Bow River freeze up as it runs through town. The low this morning there was -25C. About -15F.

http://www.banffgondola.com/live_cam.asp

The numerical weather computer models are bringing the front through the Tennessee Valley late Thursday night, into early Friday morning and I expect temps will slide slowly, during the day on Friday. Make no mistake though, the coldest air will slide north of us.

Arctic airmasses make for some tough forecasting because the real cold air is shallow and heavy. Weather models tend to push it down too slowly and out to quickly. More improtantly, the storm track pattern is changing and I think this is just the first surge of some arctic air. More to come! (Can you tell I like the cold? “wink wink” )

Will it be cold enough to snow-yes. Will it snow.. very unlikely but we might see some wet flakes before the air drys out behind the front on Friday. Don’t give up hope, if you are a snow lover.. winter is just beginning and I did not see an airmass this cold all winter last year! Mother nature is making a lot of it this year, and it usually ends up heading south!

Later,
Dan