WRAL.com: Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville

Greg Fishel and Mike Maze answer your snow questions:

WRAL:
Hi everyone, meteorologists Greg Fishel and Mike Maze will be joining us at 6:30 today (Jan. 17, 2013) to answer your snow questions. You can start submitting questions now. Thanks!

WRAL:
While you wait, here's a list of closings and delays tomorrow: http://www.wral.com/weather/closings/

Mike Maze:
Hello everyone!!

Comment From Jasmine
How many inches of snow is expected tonight?

Mike Maze:
Jasmine it depends on where you are located..around the Triangle it may just be an inch or two on grassy surfaces

Comment From Alex
What will the chance be the snow will stick?

Mike Maze:
Jasmine areas farther north toward the Virginia line will likely have more!

Comment From justin lucas
will there be ice on the roads

Mike Maze:
Alex the snow should stick on grassy surfaces but probably not too much on roadways unless it comes down hard. Once the snow ends it will melt since the ground is so warm

Comment From Jasmine
Will it snow enough to make a snowman?

Mike Maze:
Justin...if there is any remaining moisture on the roads in the morning there is possibly going to be some black ice if the air temperatures fall below freezing...

Comment From Jasmine
How do you predict snow

Greg:
Jasmine: Not likely enough for snowmen unless you're north and west of Raleigh, and even there, it won't stick around very long!

Mike Maze:
Jasmine it's like a recipe, you need certain ingredients...cold air, moisture and some instability...

Comment From Jennifer
Didn't see the news....What about Nash? How much if any @ all?

Comment From justin lucas
will the snow come down hard

Greg:
Jennifer, maybe a whitening of the ground in Nash county on the grass. Will melt quickly

Greg:
Justin, The snow may come down hard for an hour or two here in Raleigh later this evening.

Comment From john
what time do you think the snow will start?

Greg:
John, Where are you?

Comment From john
raleigh

Greg:
Best estimate is 9-10:00

Comment From Jasmine
What are the chances that it will snow more than 3 to 6"

Greg:
Jasmine, In Raleigh?

Comment From Jasmine
No in Morrisville

Greg:
Jasmine, About 2%. Not sure you will even get 3" at this point

Comment From Amanda
Will Zebulon see much of anything? I would really love a ton of snow ;)

Mike Maze:
Amanda Zebulon has the potential to see as much as an inch or two of snow on grassy surfaces...it is not going to be a ton

Comment From Chuck
GOOD EVENING, thanks for taking the time to do this! After the BRIEF shot of cold air on Tuesday, what is the temperature trend for the next several weeks. Are we going back to warm weather? What are chances for snow/ice in next 6 weeks?

Comment From Amanda
Darn :(

Mike Maze:
Chuck, the climate outlook for the remainder of the winter per the Climate Predciation Center is one of neither colder or warmer than normal which means close to normal. My gut tells me we will likely remain on the warmer side of normal...It is hard to see specifics 6 weeks out so it isn;t really possible to say we will see more snow over the next few weeks

Comment From Anonymous
Is it going to Thunder Snow?

Mike Maze:
Anonymous...it's possible to see thundersnow if the forcing in the atmosphere is storm enough. There have been numerous reports across Alabama and Tennessee of thundersnow...if we even see snow, it's possible we could hear thunder here

Comment From michele
Will there be frozen patches on the road in the raleigh in the morning?

Mike Maze:
I should say the forcing is strong enough

Comment From Leslie
Are you going to make snow cream and have a party??

Greg:
Michele, Anything more than an icy patch on a bridge or overpass is highly unlikely.

Comment From bobby
you guys got the best weather covage in the area why is cumberland co. dont have a winter storm warning or winter weater adversy and do you think fayetteville will get snow and how munch

Mike Maze:
Leslie, no but I am planning on having a snowball fight with jackie Hyland at 10PM if there is any snow on the ground!

Comment From Barbara
Hello Mike and Greg..I think it is wonderful that ya'll are taking time out of this Very Busy time for you to talk with all of us...Thank ya'll so much..I live right on the VA line in Bullock, NC...I'm hoping for the 4 inches or even more!! And Greg if we get it, you are welcomed to come and enjoy with us!! I would say we would make Snowcream, but my Mama always said we can't eat the first snow

Greg:
Bobby, You are too far south and east to get enough cold air to turn the rain to snow.

Comment From Emily
I work in Halifax County as a Paramedic. I travel I-95 to get to work. I work tomorrow and usually leave my house in Nashville at 6 am. Do I need to go into work tonight to be on the safe side, or will the interstate be in an ok condition for me to travel in the morning????

Mike Maze:
Emily, I really don't see you having any travel issues in the morning on I-95 in your area. Once the snow stops falling the warm road surface will begin melting the snow so the roads may actually be clear in the morning but wet. Some of the overpasses may have icy spots so be careful

Comment From Mike H.
What determines the size of a snowflake and it's shape..I am always hearing no two are alike..True or false??

Greg:
Mike H, No two are alike, but I doubt that any set of human eyes could detect the differences! The air temperature of the air and the very small particles the ice crystals condense on all help to determine the final shape and size of the flake.

Comment From Wayne
Hey guys! 4 kids in wake forest want to know there chances for no school tomorrow?

Mike Maze:
All- if we see any snow overnight it is quite possible there may not be much of it left on the ground when we wake up in the morning. The ground is warm and wet and really not suitable to sustain snow. Many folks will likely be disappointed when they wake up in the morning to hardly anything or nothing on the ground...if you want to see the snow fall then you will need to stay up through midnight to see it

Comment From Pat
Out of curiosity, why does TWC name storms. Miss NC in CO now. Hope the triangle gets some accumulation.

Greg:
Wayne, 2 hour delay already, but I doubt things will get bad enough to cancel the entire day.

Comment From Linda
My husband is working in Concord and will be driving back home in Gold Hill around 8, should he be concerned about snowy conditions or icy roads?

Mike Maze:
Pat, TWC decided this year it would be a good idea to name winter storms like the Hurricane Center names hurricanes. It is their way of keeping track of significant snow events and referring to them after the fact. Most of the weather community including WRAL is not follwing this convention.

Comment From Carson
farmer's almanac predicts potentially snow 3 separate times in february...how accurate are they?

Greg:
Linda, Roads should be wet to at worst slushy. Tell him to be careful nonetheless!

Comment From Danielle & 2 kids
is there a possibility we could get more than expected?

Comment From Linda
ok, thanks Greg!

Mike Maze:
Danielle, probably not....typically in the set up that we have in the atmosphere where the snow comes at the tail end of a storm system, we don;t see much snow. This storm is moving so fast and the cold air may be limited so if anything I would be concerned we would see less than what we are forecasting

Comment From Guest
Any words of wisdom for folks in SW Chatham County? thanks :)

Greg:
Carson, the Almanac can sometimes do well on overall trends for a season, but it's pretty bad on individual events. It did predict December to be milder than normal which was correct, but it also predicted a very wet December, which did not happen. it's fun reading, but that's about it.

Comment From Alex Michaud
Hi Greg, My girlfriend and I are over excited about the snow. We would like to know what time tonight we will start seeing snow here in Raleigh (Can't wait to go sledding.) Thank's a bunch! =D

Mike Maze:
Guest...you will be some of the first to see the snow falling in our viewing area...around 2" at most...all of it will be done by midnight...

Comment From Amanda
Does it necessarily have to be 32 degrees outside for us to see snow? I know i have seen snow when its been a little warmer than that I guess it has something to do with it being colder in the atmosphere

WRAL:
For everyone asking about delays and closings, you can find them here: http://www.wral.com/weather/closings/

Greg:
Amanda, it can indeed snow with temperatures above freezing. As long as temps are below freezing not too far above the surface of the earth, the snow can survive the trip to the ground without melting.

Mike Maze:
Alex you may be disappointed...there may not be enough snow to sled on locally. We should start to see the snow begin roughly around 9pm or so and last til about 11pm...

Comment From Chuck
Thanks Greg & Mike! Greg, I hope you can make it up to Roxboro to see some real snow (I am commenting from North Raleighwood). Mike, hope you hold your own against Jackie in the snowball fight. =)

Mike Maze:
Chuck, I will try....thanks!!!

WRAL:
That's all the time we have. Thanks for all the great questions. Mike and Greg, thanks for being with us!

Comment From Danielle & 2 kids
thank you for answering our questions

Comment From Amanda
Neat stuff. Thanks Greg!

Comment From Rhonda and Stephen
Greg, we have followed your forecasts for 15 years. You are the best! Thanks for bringing the snow!!!

Comment From Barbara
Thank you both!!!

Comment From Caroline
Thanks Mike and Greg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greg:
Thanks to all of you for participating! We will keep you posted throughout the evening!

Mike Maze:
Have a good night everyone and thanks for participating!