As we continue to track the approaching storm, models are beginning to resolve small details in the atmosphere. A warm nose aloft at 700mb will melt precipitation as it falls through that layer. Then that precipitation will fall through a layer of frozen air very close to the surface. This will produce a combo of sleet and freezing rain for most. Locations west of Asheville will be warmer aloft and as you move towards Sylva and Franklin, the chance for frozen precipitation will dramatically decrease. It cannot be ruled out though. Locations around Henderson Co. where cold air from the wedge will be more prevalent could see significant icing. This includes most all locations along the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The chance for snowfall will occur at the beginning of heavy precipitation when dry air will allow temperatures to wet bulb in the atmosphere. I believe that many will see a dusting or so before switching to sleet or freezing rain. If models are correct, some locations could see over .25” of ice, and power outages could become a problem. Join me live tonight at 8pm in the AshevilleWx App or shortly after that on Facebook live where I will detail out my latest thoughts on the approaching event.
Freezing Rain Threat Increasing For Tuesday/Wednesday Around WNC
