Weather It Is (Heavy Rain)

Good Evening:

After a very snowy late Friday afternoon in Efrat (6 inches/15 cm), our weather will change back to a more typical winter time pattern (or at least what used to be typical and is more frequent this year): rain. 

It was an amazing snow event, and the snow fell at more than an inch an hour.  Overall, the precipitation amounts were predicted quite well by the model (about 12 ml), with the last third or so falling as a dry, fluffy, fast accumulating snow.  The snow came in bands -- almost like a "lake-effect" snow (e.g., lake effect snow from Lake Erie) -- as extremely cold air overlay the relatively warm sea-surface temperatures.  The gradient in temperatures between the 850 mb level and the sea-surface may have been as high as -24 C (20 C to - 4 C).  With extremely cold temperatures at 700 mb (-15 C) and 500 mb (-30 C), the moisture was able to fuel very strong convective clouds that led to white out conditions in the area of the central mountains. 

The snow started to accumulate at a rapid rate from about 3:30 onwards (and especially after 4:30 P.M) as temperatures fell to 0 (and then below).  After the snow stopped, I noted a -3 C temperature on our weather station.

Otherwise, a strong low pressure area will spread heavy rain into the coastal regions tonight and the center of the country towards morning.  The rain will spread to the south on Sunday morning.  Rain will probably cause flooding in low lying areas and in stream/river beds. 

The system should pass through Sunday afternoon.

Looking ahead, there is a chance for more winter (snow) weather on Wednesday.  The chance of snow in the higher elevations of the center is 40%.

Barry Lynn