Weather It Is (Stormy Weather)

Good Afternoon:

The winter storm watch has been cancelled.

Instead, the latest forecasts from today through tomorrow afternoon show that the heavies precipitation should be located from about Tel-Aviv northward.  This is good for the Kinneret.

However, for those hoping for snow in Jerusalem, this seems unlikely as only light precipitation arrives as the coldest air near the surface departs (tomorrow afternoon).  Instead, a period of steady rain should occur from late afternoon until the end of Shabbat in the Jerusalem area, with rain also occurring south of Jerusalem in the area of Beer-Sheva (for example).

Our higher resolution forecast is indicating that the arrival of the coldest air aloft (at 500 mb) in the late afternoon will eventually lead to a period of icing associated most likely with thunder and lightning. This would be a coating of ice pellets, rather than snow.  High winds tonight along the coastal cities and inland, will likely become gale force winds during the day on Friday from coastal areas, through the center of the country and areas in the desert south.

It's possible that there still could be a light coating of snow during the morning hours of Friday in the higher elevations around Jerusalem, but this is not likely.  This can happen before the arrival of the main area of forecast precipitation amounts. It would be better seen on our highest resolution forecast, but we may not make this until tomorrow morning.

Barry Lynn