Friday P.M.: Latest information for the winter storm track

Based on the latest information available from Friday afternoon, here’s what the weather models are showing for the winter storm track:

Storm Track – Friday Afternoon Update

The storm has now begun impacting the country, and the forecast models are showing increasingly consistent agreement on the track. The storm system is moving toward the Mississippi Valley and is expected to reach the Northeast and the Ohio Valley by Sunday texasstormchasers.

Current Model Guidance

Model Convergence: The latest forecast models continue to nudge this weekend’s winter storm track farther north Weather.us. This northward trend is important as it affects the precipitation type various regions will experience.

GFS vs. European Models: There are still some differences between the major forecast models:

• The GFS places the storm farther south, keeping cold air locked in throughout the event, meaning all snow from start to finish Weather.us
• The Euro hugs the coast, introducing some warm air into the upper atmosphere, which could change the snow over to sleet or freezing rain after an initial heavy burst Weather.us

Ensemble Agreement: Despite differences in the operational models, all the ensembles – dozens of models blended together – still indicate the region is getting hit by this storm Weather.us.

Geographic Impact Zones

Southern Ice Storm: The amount of ice expected to accumulate in the Ark-La-Tex region could be crippling, with places like Little Rock and Memphis seeing widespread power outages and tree damage with more than .25 inch of ice expected this weekend FOX Weather.

Heavy Snow Belt:

• Oklahoma City is bracing for one of its biggest snowstorms on record, with the latest forecast calling for 8-12 inches of snow in the OKC metro area through the weekend FOX Weather
• New York, Boston, and Philadelphia are now gearing up for the biggest snowstorm to hit the Northeast in years, with 12+ inches of snow expected to fall across a big chunk of the region starting late Saturday and continuing into Monday FOX Weather

Timing

The storm has already begun in some areas as of Friday afternoon, with snow and ice impacting Dallas to Little Rock, Arkansas, to Wichita, Kansas, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by Friday evening FOX Weather.

The confidence in a major, widespread winter event remains very high, with more than 170 million people on alert for a massive weekend storm that stretches from New Mexico to Maine U.S. News & World Report.

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