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« on: December 30, 2017, 05:11:31 PM »
Snow near Central Florida to start the new year? There’s a chance it could happen this coming week — but the conditions would have to be just right.
While much of the nation is already in a deep freeze, a mass of cold air is expected to work its way into our area by Thursday — leading to the chance of snow between Orlando and Tampa.
“Some of the coldest air in years will be invading the continental United States next week,” meteorologist Paul Dellegatto from Tampa TV station WTVT explained in a Facebook post. “Eventually, some of that cold air will be spilling south into Florida.”
He referenced a European forecast model that is predicting snow on Thursday in parts of Pasco and Pinellas counties in west Central Florida near Tampa.
“When it comes to snow in Florida, it always hinges on having enough moisture around WHILE it is cold enough to snow. The vast majority of our sub-freezing nights occur under clear skies and radiational cooling, so snow is rarely mentioned. In this case, there is a small chance,” Dellegato explained.
“And I mean like tiny, that there may be enough moisture coming in off the Gulf to produce a wet snow flake or two next Thursday. I am just throwing this out there,” he explained, then cautioned, “Don't plan on making your ☃️ just yet!”