Snow chances at week's end, early next week

The snow watch continues this week as colder weather settles in. None of it is alarming. But forecasters out at Sterling have upped the chances for snow showers Friday to 50 percent. And there is a new chance for more snow posted now for Monday into Tuesday.

High temperatures for the rest of the 7-day forecast period remain in the 30s, with lows deep in the 20s. So this is going to feel pretty wintry for Baltimore. The first chance for snow - showers, they're calling it - comes Thursday night, with the odds set at 40 percent.

Friday's odds kick up to 50 percent, but they're still calling it snow "showers." The definition of snow showers is intermittent snow falling from convective clouds (rather than widespread stratiform clouds). That makes them of short duration. They may or may not leave some slight accumulation on the ground.

These showers, if they arrive, come with the arrival of a cold front that's forecast to move through the mid-Atlantic late Thursday into Friday. The low driving the front - and the real snowstorm - will stay to our north and east, with AccuWeather predicting "disruptive" snow for southeastern New York State and parts of New England.

Here's what Eric the Red is anticipating for Thursday into Friday: "DC/nrn Va.: Nothing. Between DC and Baltimore: A dusting, perhaps an inch. North and East of Baltimore: 1-3", with low end closer to the city.

"Given the amount of energy that will accompany the system, I think it's safe to put out a prelim heads up for a dusting to perhaps an inch or two of snow for Thurs night into Friday morning. I don't know about you, but I'm headed to Safeway."

After a brief period of higher pressure and clear skies Saturday and Sunday, there's another system due that could bring more snow Monday night into Tuesday. Not much chatter about that yet. But Eric the Red thinks it might be our first decent snowstorm of the season:

"If I were a gambling man, I'd place my bet on our first significant winter storm for the interior Mid-Atlantic. I mean, really, they ALL can't miss us, right?!

"I have a hard time buying the to-our-west track, cos the northern Atlantic would argue against that; the block tends to cause storms to form/track along the coast, or if anything, too far offshore (i.e. Christmas week).

"As it stands now, the timing of this whole thing looks to be Tues into Weds."