Since it’s winter, a winter storm is bringing winter to the central US and a brief cold snap to the Southeast … lots of advisories and warnings up this Sunday:
The storm will continue to move south and east the next two days, causing a 30 degree temperature drop in Coastal GA/SC (better known as the Frogmore Metroplex). Here’s a four-panel wind/temperature forecast map for Tuesday evening (30 December), showing freezing temperatures approaching the coast. Notice the streamline map (upper right) showing cold Canadian air whipping across the plains and into the south
This shouldn’t be a hard freeze except well away from the coast (inland counties). For Frogmore and Savannah, it may go below freezing for a few hours so protect delicate plants, but it’s been so warm lately only bare exposed pipes well away from anything are at any “risk” so dripping isn’t needed.
If you’re looking for snow, the southern Appalachians might get some, as well as a weird patch in New Mexico and west Texas, but otherwise you’ll have to go to the Rockies, North Central Plains, or north of the Line of Civilized Iced Tea (Mason/Dixon) to find any. Here’s another four-panel map showing precipitation (upper left), precipitation type (upper right, with snow in blue and rain in green), severe potential in the lower left, and snow cover on the lower right:
Elsewhere, the Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season is underway, with Cyclone Grant tooling across the southern Indian Ocean …
And the developing Tropical Depression Ten should hit Australia as a stronger system in a few days …
I’m working on an epic rant about the proposed closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). In brief, this is short sighted, unbelievable stupidity on the part of the Administration that risks severely damaging America’s capacity to to atmospheric research. Those of you averse to “politics” (although I don’t see calling out our leaders when then do something stupid is “politics”) will need to get your fainting couches ready.
If you appreciate this kind of discussion, the best way to get it is to subscribe to the emails. You can also donate to keep it going at this the same link, donations are responsible for the new web data pages about to go live around New Year’s Day.
You can also follow us on X/Twitter (@EnkiResearch), Telegram, BlueSky, or even Facebook if that’s your preferred social media mayhem.
Go for it! Closing NCAR is unbelievably short sighted and yes, stupid.