"Panhandle Hook" may bring first light accumulation - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

"Panhandle Hook" may bring first light accumulation

Two storm systems will bring precipitation to the area this week. The second, known as a Panhandle Hook, could deliver Toledo's first accumulation of snow this season.

Early in the workweek, some light rain will cross the Ohio Valley, brushing the area with some light rain showers, late on Monday.  A few wet snowflakes could potentially mix with the rain showers on Monday night or very early on Tuesday, but no accumulations are expected.

The better chance for accumulating snow will arrive at the end of the workweek, on the back side of a storm system known as a Panhandle Hook.  This type of low pressure system develops over the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, moves east, and then 'hooks' to the northeast toward the Great Lakes.  Typically, locations to the south of the storm track see rain, and in some cases, thunderstorms.  Accumulating snow typically falls to the northwest of the center of low pressure. 

In our case, we will probably fall near - or just southeast of the center of low pressure.  Therefore, rain is likely for the first half of the storm system, from Wednesday night through much of Thursday.  However, colder air will arrive on the back end of the storm system, changing the rain to snow on Thursday evening.  Snow showers will continue, aided by moisture from the Great Lakes, on Friday.  The end result will likely be a light accumulation of snow, followed by a cold pre-Christmas weekend.