As of January 21, January 2021 is the 15th warmest (mean temperature) since 1879 in Greater Lafayette (Purdue University 1879-1943...Purdue Airport 1944-Present).
Highs today were mild at 43-51 with peak winds gusts as high as 42 mph.
Colder weather is ahead.
Winter precipitation is ahead as well............let's focus on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Thursday...........& then systems in early February....
First.....Sunday-Tuesday.............
Snow to ice to rain to ice to snow is likely in the late Sunday to early Tuesday time frame.
The exact time line of change-overs continues to be unclear, but minor snow/ice accumulation is possible early in the system & again late.
The middle may have rain........however, the north looks to be the last to change to rain, so areas along & north of US 24 will have a much longer duration of frozen precipitation.
If it tracks a bit more to the south, then there will less to no rain & more frozen precipitation.
Thursday.............
This is an all-snow system, but the track is unclear. This will dictate any snowfall amounts.
There is a system, but close monitoring over the next several days will determine magnitude of impacts here.
I am focused on a mantle of snow & a clear calm night with strong surface high by end of next week meaning lows near 0.
A quickly as the cold snap settles in, it moves out rapidly. Strong southerly winds with much warmer weather & rainfall should arrive by February 1.
This is the first of many systems to February 10 with surges of above to well-above normal temperatures.
This also means multiple rounds of severe weather across the southern U.S. to parts of the Ohio Valley & perhaps even as far north as our area.
February 5-6 time period shows strong storm system with near/record warmth & severe weather risk here. We will monitor.
Much colder weather with ice & then snow are likely in mid-February.
Burst of much warmer, wetter weather looks likely in late February.
