Weather It Is (Rain on the Way/Snow on the Hermon)

Good Evening:

Our relatively mild and sunny past few days will transition to something more akin to winter.

In fact, we're going to have a classic winter storm with the heaviest rain falling in the north, as well as a heavy snow on the Hermon (we have a new "Hermon" forecast page).

By Sunday evening, 25 to 50 mm should fall in the north -- including the Kinneret Basin, with 50 to 100 mm of rain in the area of the far north and Golan/Hermon.  Additional rain should fall Sunday night into Monday.

Graupel (ice pellets) are possible in the area of the central, northern mountains, but temperatures should stay above freezing (outside the Hermon) throughout this rainy event.

The next storm is actually the first of possible several storms to impact our area in the  next two to three weeks.  They are forming in response to ridging into central Europe and the confluence of and fairly active northern and southern Jet streams.

Moreover, the Arctic Oscillation will be turning positive soon, and combined with a positive North Atlantic Oscillation will set up for a possible mid to late February snowstorm.

Flooding will be possible in the Jordan and Dead Sea Valleys, from Saturday morning and late Saturday afternoon, respectively.

Strong to Gale-Force winds should occur from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning.

Shabbat Shalom,

Barry Lynn