Good evening everyone and Happy Friday! Attached is the First Prediction for Monday, January 8, 2024.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the area from 1 PM Saturday until 6 PM Sunday. The National Weather Service is anticipating 6 to 10 inches of snowfall during this time period. Below is the latest snowfall map from the Mt. Holly office.

I do anticipation some lingering impacts into Monday and there are a few things we need to take into consideration. First, school districts have a history of delaying the day after a major winter event. This is often due to schools creating extra time for staff to clean and prepare school property. Additionally, they also take into account some isolated slick spots that may remain after a large event.

We also need to consider the temperature forecast. Temperatures are going to fluctuate between around freezing during the day and below freezing in the evening and at night over the next few days (see the image below). I think it is a reasonable expectation for snow to either partially melt or become slushy in some spots in the afternoon on Sunday then re-freeze Sunday night into Monday morning, creating a flash freeze. In order for a flash-freeze to occur, you need slushy road conditions immediately after a major snowfall and wind speeds have to be low (high winds tend to dry up roads); both of these are in the current forecast.

Considering all of this, I am favoring the delay scenario for most schools in Monroe County, especially if the area receives 6 to 10 inches of snowfall. One last thing to keep an eye on is the heavy rain expected for Tuesday: there is risk for flooding in the area and it could cause some isolated school reactions. A prediction for Tuesday may be required.

I do want to mention if you are interested in getting hourly predictions for your local county, I highly recommend checking out the Premium Site. It provides hourly school predictions and weather forecasts out to four days in advance. It is also a great way to support the service. Check it out!

I plan on issuing the Second Prediction for Monday tomorrow afternoon. Thank you all for the support and have a wonderful day!