Heavy Great Lakes Snow through Friday; Extreme Cold and Potential for Major Winter Storm Late Week into this Weekend

Multiple clipper systems will bring cold temperatures and enhance lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes. An arctic blast will bring frigid temperatures accompanied with gusty winds that may lead to dangerous wind chills beginning in the Northern Plains Thursday before expanding to the South and East. An expansive winter storm will start Friday in the Southern Rockies/Plains and Mid-South. Read More >

December 15, 2005
Winter Weather Event Review
Section 1: Introduction

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Section 1 -- Section 2 -- Section 3 -- Section 4

On the morning of Thursday, December 15, 2005, a weak surface low moved along a frontal trough as it moved from west to east through the Ohio Valley. The previous night (Wednesday night), rain fell ahead of the frontal trough with surface temperatures dropping to just above freezing. As the frontal trough and weak surface low moved into Ohio and Kentucky, surface temperatures around or just above the freezing mark stayed nearly steady throughout the day. Precipitation began in the pre-dawn hours as rain or a mix of rain and snow. It quickly transitioned to all snow and increased in intensity across east central Indiana, through the Miami Valley, into parts of central Ohio.

Snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches were found from Richmond, IN to Marysville, OH. This study will focus on the subtle differences in model trends, thermal fields, and forcing that made this a difficult and uncertain precipitation type forecast.

Note, all times in this document will be for December 15th unless noted.

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