Winter Storms In Weird Places Next Few Days, Nothing Of Note Here In Vermont

To lighten the mood during a snow and ice storm in South
Carolina Sunday, police arrest Elsa from Frozen for
bringing the winter weather. Elsa's not done yet. Another
winter storm is due in the Carolinas Friday and Saturday

We routinely go under winter storm watches this time of year here in Vermont. We just had such advisories the other day with that storm Monday. 

But nothing substantial is in our foreseeable future, but winter storms are hitting places that are not the usual targets. Like far southern Texas.  And, for the second time within a week, the Carolinas.

Texas is facing a classic "Blue Norther," in which cold air from Canada has an unfettered shot at heading south, blocked by absolutely no mountains from the northern Plains all the way down to the Rio Grande Valley. 

Moisture will try to ride up and over the shallow layer of cold air that will take up residence in South Texas Thursday night, so a winter storm watch is up for this odd place for some freezing rain and sleet.

Thankfully, this cold wave will be not nearly as intense or as long lasting as the one in Texas last February that trashed the state's electrical grid and caused hundreds of deaths.  

Next up, the Carolinas, which are still trying to recover from the big snow and ice storm that hit the two states Saturday.

The same expansive Arctic high pressure that will freeze South Texas will keep the Southeast quite chilly, too.  As the cold air comes in, a storm will try to get going off the Carolina coast. This will throw moisture back into the Carolinas to mix with the cold air.

Areas closer to the coast that did not get freezing rain and sleet Sunday will probably get it this time. Freezing rain is forecast to make it all the way to the coast, hitting cities like Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

Central North and South Carolina, including big cities like Raleigh, should get at least a couple inches of snow and sleet.

 This part of the nation isn't really built for winter storms. A couple inches of snow and sleet for us in New England is no biggie, but for Southerners, it's game over. 

The huge Arctic high pressure that is messing things up in Texas and the Carolinas is screwing things up in Vermont, too.  In our case, it's preventing us from getting any more needed snow.

The high pressure will help squash that developing storm in the Carolinas to the south, and at this point, it looks like that storm will go much to far to the south and east to have any effect on us in Vermont. 

For us the small "Alberta Clipper" that will introduce us to that next Arctic shot is producing snow showers and gusty winds in northern Vermont this morning. Snow accumulation in most places should be an inch or less.

The brief cold blast from yesterday brought temperatures into the single numbers and teens below zero last night before temperatures started rising again. (Island Pond in the Northeast Kingdom got down to 22 below).

Temperatures might actually briefly rise above freezing in some spots this afternoon because of strong south winds. 

The storm's cold front will come through tonight with a round of snow showers to begin the cold snap.  The front looks like it might briefly slow down or stall near southern New England tomorrow morning, creating a potential commuter nightmare from Washington DC to Boston. 

For us in Vermont, just cold.