Big Snowstorm on the Way for Schuylkill County?

LATEST PREDICTIONS: Schuylkill County Set for 12-18 Inches of Snow … Maybe MORE!

If you haven’t heard, you’re hearing it now: there’s a chance for a big snowstorm in Schuylkill County this week.

We’re not exactly sure how much snow we’ll get but it could be a lot. And it could be not a lot, too.

At this point, it’s too early to tell but that’s not stopping the hysteria from setting in.

One thing seems certain: It will or won’t do something big on Wednesday of this week.

Hype Building for Big Snowstorm in Schuylkill County This Week

We’ll take a look at what each of the major weather forecasting outfits are saying about this storm in a bit, but first the setup.

Monday: The Precursor

Before the possible big storm on Wednesday, there will be a minor snow disturbance passing over Schuylkill County on Monday.

All the major weather stations seem to be in agreement on this storm. And it’s at the point where you can barely call it a storm. However, if we were giving away a snow blower to the person who guessed Monday as the day the first inch of snow fell on Pottsville, we’d be giving away that snow blower on Monday.

We’re not giving away a snow blower (this year) but it’s likely that Pottsville will get about an inch of snow from the storm on Monday.

Again, the Monday event is just a precursor for later in the week.

Tuesday: The Day of Rest and Milk and Bread (aka Beer and Smokes) Runs

Tuesday figures to be a pretty nice day in Schuylkill County. A bit chilly but pretty nice overall.

If some of the forecasts out there right now on the big Wednesday storm are accurate, you can bet on people rushing to the grocery stores on Tuesday. People will be buying milk and bread like it’s toilet paper on Tuesday.

Wednesday: The Big Storm Cometh (Maybe)

Although the forecasts aren’t in alignment just yet, one thing definitely seems certain. It’ll be cold enough to snow on Wednesday. National Weather Service predicts a high temperature of 30 degrees and a low of 22.

That’ll be plenty cold enough for snow in Schuylkill County.

Now, will it actually snow? And if it snows, how much?

According to Ed Russo, a meterologist at WHP-TV in Harrisburg, it’s a little too early to tell because a main ingredient in this storm is still a couple thousand miles away from Schuylkill County:

The main piece of energy behind Wednesday's storm is still over 2,500 miles away over the Pacific. It comes over the Pacific NW tomorrow night. Once this comes ashore, we'll have a much better idea on exact track and snow amounts. pic.twitter.com/55ywIimQCm

— Ed Russo (@EdRussoWX) December 13, 2020

That low pressure system off the Pacific coast in the tweet above will move on shore Sunday and dip south before making its way up the East Coast a couple days later, potentially bringing moisture along with it. And if and when that moisture passes over a freezing cold Schuylkill County … BOOM … a big snowstorm is ripe for the making.

But again, it’s really a little too soon to say for sure how much snow we’ll get. It’s fun to look at the early predictions though.

National Weather Service

Right now, National Weather Service is holding off on giving out any snow accumulation numbers.

It does, however, indicate a Moderate risk level for a significant winter storm on Wednesday in Schuylkill County.

And National Weather Service also believes there is a greater than 70% chance of a plowable snow storm on Wednesday in Schuylkill County.

Accuweather

Accuweather is giving a ballpark estimate on how much snow we’ll get in Schuylkill County, specifically Pottsville, on Wednesday.

Right now, the forecasters there believe there is a 48% chance of us getting between 10-15 inches of snow on Wednesday. There’s an almost equal chance (41%) that we’ll get between 6-10 inches of snow from the storm.

The chance of getting less than 6 inches is just 8% and the chance of getting between 15-20 inches is 2%. There’s even a slight chance we’ll get more than 20 inches on Wednesday!

The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel is playing it somewhat safe for now. They’re predicting between 3-5 inches of snow during the day on Wednesday. They also give a nightly forecast for between 5 and 8 inches of snow. Now, is this nighttime total for the whole storm or just at night.

So, to be on the safe side, let’s say they’re calling for anywhere between 3 and 13 inches of snow from the storm on Wednesday.

On the map below, The Weather Channel has Schuylkill County in the deepest purple shade for the heaviest snow potential from the storm on Wednesday but forecasters there caution that a shift in the track could result in more or less snow for us.

GFS Model

As of now, those estimates above are the conservative ones.

Want to believe we’re in store for a REALLY big snowstorm on Wednesday? Put all your chips on the GFS Model run on Saturday which shows parts of Schuylkill County getting more snow than anyone else from the storm.

Yes, that’s a 23 (as in 23 inches)!

Euro Model

There’s even a little bit of agreement between that GFS Model and the Euro Model run on Saturday.

The snow totals overall are a little higher in general but the Euro has the most snow falling just north of Schuylkill County. But you can see on the map below that we could be looking at nearly 2 feet of snow here if this model is accurate for Wednesday.

Stick with us as we continue to provide updates on all the major forecasts concerning this potential winter storm in Schuylkill County on Wednesday.

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