Weather! Snow today, gone tomorrow

If you’re a fan of the snow, your joy is going to be short-lived. Temperatures are going to be back in the 60s by Wednesday!

February 20, 2012; 12:45 PM • by Weather Dan

In this case, it’s not just a (modified) figure of speech.

While the Richmond metro was blanketed in 2 to 5 inches of snow yesterday and last night, temperatures are on their way into the low 40s today. Combined with clear skies, that’s going to lead to a lot of snowmelt by sunset this evening.

The big winners were in Augusta and Alleghany Counties, where 10” was measured near Greensville, 9.8” near Covington, and 9.” in Fishersville. Two additional reports over nine inches came from the area around Pilot in Montgomery County. I wound up with about 6.5” in my backyard, and the Richmond International Airport is reporting 3.9” fell as of midnight. Some additional accumulations were possible after midnight, and that total will show up on the climate report for today, which is first issued around 5:30 this evening.

Monday: You can see it outside already – clear skies and seasonable temperatures will be the trend for the next couple days. High pressure will settle over the eastern half of the US. The snowpack will act to keep temperatures a little cooler than they might otherwise be today, as highs get to near 40 today. A threat for black ice exists tonight, as temperatures fall into the upper 20s, refreezing a lot of today’s melted snow.

Tuesday: More sunny skies and even warmer temperatures, with highs around 50. Skies become partly cloudy Tuesday night, with a low in the low 30s.

Wednesday: An approaching weak, dry cold front brings increasing cloudcover on Wednesday, with partly to mostly cloudy skies through most of the day. There’s no real threat of precipitation, however. Temperatures make it into the mid 60s Wednesday afternoon before falling back into the low 40s Wednesday night.

There are some hints at some rain early Thursday morning, and we’re looking at a good chance for some precipitation by the time Friday rolls around. There’s no chance for anything frozen, however; this is going to be all rain.

February 20, 2012 12:45 PM 0