18-30 inches of snow for northern and western Virginia…very similar to the December storm that shut down Washington, D.C.

Here in Hampton Roads the rain/snow line will be hovering over the region this morning….so rain and or snow expected during the morning Friday before warmer Atlantic Ocean air pushes from the southeast.  With all the snow melt from the past storm and 1-3 inches of rain late today and tonight, localized urban flooding is a sure bet for some.  The air pressure will bottom out around 984 mb with this low as it moves off our coast.  That is the normal air pressure of a Cat. I or Cat. II hurricane.  Winds will gust to 50 mph along the coast tonight and tomorrow morning and could easily gust to hurricane strength over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Colder air will rapidly wrap around the low tomorrow morning leading to the rain quickly changing to snow early to mid morning on the peninsula and mid to late morning on the southside.  The models are spitting out between .30″ and .50″ water content after the changeover.  Using a ten to one ratio that would mean 3-5 inches of snow…more snow as you go north and less as you head south.

On the roads…heavy rain will freeze on the roads tomorrow with several inches of snowfall on top of that making driving very hazardous.  With temps in the 20’s late tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night, that ice and snow will be on the roads Sunday!

Meteorologist Jon Cash

Northern and western Virgina will get dumped on again this weekend.  Starting Friday and continuing Saturday heavy snow expected well north and west of our viewing area.  At this point this system will be much closer to the region allowing warmer southern air to pop into the area Friday and Friday night before colder air returns later on Saturday.

Travel across parts of the state will be very difficult during this time!  Here in the metro area rain will begin on Friday.  There could be just enough leftover cold air to allow it to start as a mix north and west of the big cities.  Everybody should get rain overnight Friday before the rain changes to snow sometime on Saturday.

The snow on Saturday may only be flurries or it could be accumulating.  This will depend on an upper level low pressure system riding through the area.  If it’s stronger and slower…it will bring several inches…a weaker and faster one would bring just flurries…stay tuned!

Meteorologist Jon Cash

A very active pattern is setting up the next couple of weeks.  The jet stream will be split into two wind streams…a southern one that will bring moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and a northern one that will bring cold weather from Canada.  It would be surprising if we *did not* receive more winter precipitation sometime in the next two weeks.

The next event I am watching closely is for Friday and Saturday (February 5-6th).  The pattern is very similar to the setup from last weekend.  A low pressure system will travel from Southern California through Texas and into the Gulf of Mexico during the week and then track south of us later Friday and Saturday.  Cold high pressure north and west of the region will supply the area with a fresh shot of Canadian air.  Water temps of 37 degrees will help.  It’s too early to tell how much snow verses rain or even sleet we may get this far out but it looks very interesting…stay tuned!

Meteorologist Jon Cash

To WAVY-TV 10 and Fox 43 viewers,
 
I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving WAVY-TV 10 and Fox 43.  This is my last weekend on-air doing weathercasts.  Weather has been my passion since I was 9 years old, but I’ve decided to pursue other interests and spend weekends with family and friends.  It was a bittersweet decision for me because I truly enjoy my job as a broadcast meteorologist.  I’ve had a terrific run in my home state of Virginia at WAVY and Fox over the past 3 years and I thank you for your loyal viewership and support.  I’ve made wonderful friends here and I have enjoyed volunteering in the Hampton Roads community.  In addition to weather events, my highlights have included the Holiday Lights Contest, Friday Night Flights, my “Pet of the Week” segments, and announcing Penn State’s football game score at the end of some Saturday evening newscasts. 
 
Best wishes and sunshine always,

Cheryl Nelson
Meteorologist
CBM/AMS Seal

Many of our pets enjoy spending time outdoors.  However, when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, it is a good idea to bring them inside, if possible.  If pets have to stay outdoors, be sure they have a shelter with blankets to keep them warm.  Check and refill their water bowl often as the water freezes pretty quickly in sub freezing weather. 

If your pets are inside, be aware of the pests they may bring in with them (certain insects, etc may try to come inside to warm up too).    I do the “Pet of the Week” segment on WAVY-TV and have a genuine love for animals and their well-being.

If you haven’t thought about parasite prevention for your pet, now would be a good time to start.  Fleas may come inside with your pet, especially during the fall and winter when it gets cold outside.  Fleas can cause some bad diseases in your pet such as cat scratch fever and tapeworms.  Fleas also can irritate your pet’s skin causing him/her to scratch the itchy skin continuously.  Heartworms can survive in your pet’s lungs, heart, and blood vessels.  Other internal parasites like hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms can also infect your pets causing them gastrointestinal problems: kittens and puppies are most susceptible  to these parasites.

I hope your pets are warm, healthy and happy! 

To keep your pet healthy, talk with your veterinarian about parasite prevention.  If you have a story you’d like to share about how you keep your pet safe and warm during the winter months, let me know.  Please remember to spay or neuter your pet.  Microchipping is also a good idea.  All pets brought to shelters are scanned for a microchip- if you lose your pet, the chances of being reunited with him/her are much higher if the pet is microchipped.  It is a safe, quick and easy process.  Talk to your veterinarian if you would like additional information.   

I’d love to see your pet pictures too.  Feel free to send me an email at cheryl.nelson@wavy.com

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

After a very cold start to 2010, the weather pattern will start to become more progressive.  That means the jet stream will start to lift back to the north pushing the bitterly cold air back into Canada.  Temperatures by the middle of this week will be flirting with 50 degrees!

In the meantime, it will be another cold one tonight with temperatures in the 10s and 20s.  The high will be near 40 degrees on Monday.  An Alberta Clipper will push through the region late Monday night into Tuesday morning.  Typically Alberta Clippers are weak systems that lack a lot of moisture.  Additionally, the mountains of VA tend to “eat away” some of the moisture.  However, there could be just enough moisture left where we see a few flurries.

Have a wonderful night!

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

The cold weather pattern we’re in is going to be around for quite a while.  Temperatures likely won’t get above 40 degrees all week.  In fact, after lows in the 10s and 20s, it will be a struggle for temperatures to crack 32 degrees in some locations during the day.  (Average high temperatures for this time of the year are in the upper 40s to near 50).

The wind chill will be an issue again today.  Northwest winds of 15-30 mph with higher gusts created wind chills in the single digits this morning and wind chills will be in the 10s and 20s this afternoon.  Winds will finally begin to slowly subside overnight, but it will remain frigid.  Please remember to keep your pets inside, if possible.  Any water in bowls outside will likely stay frozen for much of the night and even into the day due to very cold temperatures. 

Please also remember to look after each other.  I recommend a hat, scarf, gloves/mittens and a heavy coat in this kind of cold weather!

Another tip: please do not leave your car while it is running to let it warm up.  Leaving a vehicle running and unattended is a perfect invitation for someone to steal your vehicle and drive away.  If you do need to warm up your vehicle, please remain inside the car and keep it locked.

Stay warm and safe this week!

By the way, we are keeping an eye on a possible storm moving in from the southwest late Thursday into Friday that could bring us some snow showers.  The track, intensity and amount of cold air will all be key players.  It is too soon to make any other predictions at this time, but it could be interesting…stay tuned! 

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

2009 will go down in the record books as one of the wettest years on record reported at Norfolk International Airport.  In 2009, we received 64.66″ of precipitation.  In a “normal” year we receive 45.74″ of precipitation.  Here is the list of our top four wettest years:

YEAR          PRECIPITATION

1889                     70.72″

1877                    69.14″

1979                    64.96″

2009                   64.66″

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

Many people to our north and west will have a “White Christmas” until the rain arrives on Christmas Day…

While Virginia and North Carolina usually have less than a 25% chance of a White Christmas, this year will be much different for areas well north and west of Hampton Roads!  Saturday’s snowstorm blanketed the region and snow is still on the ground in places like Richmond, Washington, D.C, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and Roanoke. 

Here is a look at the current snow depth:

If you want to see the snow, you’ve only got a couple of more days to “drive to it.”  Rain will wash the snow away on Christmas Day.

Happy Holidays!

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson