More snow in central Pa. this week? There’s a chance

(State College) — There’s an old saying that when it comes to the weather, March typically comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. That saying seems to be true so far in 2018.

After much of central Pennsylvania was battered by snow squalls and high winds over the last few days, another weather system lined up for Tuesday night could bring more snow, according to the National Weather Service.

While the temperature will dictate the potential amount of snow, Paul Head, a national Weather Service meteorologist, said the area can expect “a sloppy mess.”

Missed Friday’s storm? Here’s what you missed:

• Freight train derails over bridge in Maryland, plummets into Susquehanna River
• A tractor trailer flipped on the Norman Wood bridge
• High winds and wild weather brought down trees and power lines throughout the area

“The temperature is going to be more of a key factor than the actual amount of precipitation,” Head said. “We might get plowable snow. There’s a chance, but it’s not likely.”

Brian Edwards, a meteorologist with Accuweather, agreed, saying that the majority of the precipitation could come on Wednesday. But, while the majority of the snow will miss central Pennsylvania, there was still “an opportunity for a few inches of snow.”

The recent manic weather is caused by a negative North Atlantic Oscillation – where the high pressure sits over Greenland and the low pressure sits over the Atlantic Ocean, which is flipped from what it normally is, Head said.

Typically, this weather event lasts about three weeks, with the most recent one starting on Thursday.

What does that mean for more of that warm weather central Pennsylvania saw in late February? It means you’ll have to wait a few more weeks.

“It’s pretty much on schedule for the normal start of spring,” Head said. “What we had in February was abnormal.”

In addition to Tuesday night’s weather, another storm, expected late Thursday into Friday, could also bring snow depending on the temperatures, but Head said that storm was a bit too far out to track.

This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The York Daily Record.