Good morning, IT'S FRIDAY!
Storm systems are lining up every few days on the computer models and our active weather pattern is only going to get a bit crazier in the next few days and weeks. There is a closing off low near Yuma, AZ this morning. It is really starting to spin on the satellite movies. This is going to be a fun one to watch and try to forecast. Look below at the forecast from the NAM model vaid at 6 AM Sunday:

The upper low is about to phase with the system digging down in the northern branch of the jet stream. These two will become one major winter storm. We are in the developing area where it all begins coming together. The models are predicting a big precipitation event over our local region. This could cause flooding as the ground is saturated and frozen. And, when will it become cold enough for a changeover to snow? Right now it looks like this timing would be around 7 AM Sunday. If the storm tracks like the NAM is predicting then we have the potential for a major snowstorm on Sunday. Other models are ejecting the system out faster and the snow would not last long.
After the new data comes out we will do a more specific analysis. Right now there are still too many uncertainties. And, after this storm system moves by the weather pattern goes into what Jeff Penner and I like to call "a weird weather pattern alert". An upper ridge is going to form north of Montana in Canada as strong jet stream energy blasts into the west coast of the United States. If an upper high forms up in Canada, or if this ridge strengthens at all up there another cold air mass will come down while this jet energy comes in. The ingredients are there for two more fairly substantial storm systems over the next 7 to 10 days.
Have a great day. We will try to update the blog before noon. Meteorogologists Brett Anthony and Jeremy Nelson will keep you updated through the morning on NBC Action News. Remember we have our 11 AM newscast and we will have new data to go over including our new futurecast tracking this storm. And, Jeremy will be here on our weekend morning shows, 8 AM Saturday and Sunday.
One last thing. Tonight at 10 PM I will have the latest data on this storm, and I have a special little piece on new cutting edge radar technology right before I do the weather.
Gary