Why is it going to snow more at the beach than here?

In an odd twist of events, it looks as though places like New Orleans, Houston, Destin, etc. will go from sandy to snowy.

Meanwhile, in the Triangle, snow totals will amount to less than an inch Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning.

It goes without saying that this is a pretty atypical snowstorm, so let’s talk about why the coast gets more snow than we do this time around.

What’s limiting our snow potential?

It’s worth noting that even a quarter of an inch or half an inch of snow on our cold ground can cause road issues Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Here’s a look at the expected timeline and totals for our light snow chance.

Even still, that pales in comparison to what they’ll have to deal with along the Gulf and East Coast.

So, what gives?

This is where we dive deep into meteorological dynamics and how storms behave.

This first map shows the air pattern at the 15,000-foot level.

You see that dip in the pattern? That’s known as a trough, which I’ve outlined with that dashed brown line.

This trough is tilted eastward (or “positively”), which means it’s not tugging a ton of moisture back toward us.

Instead, that moisture is more plentiful along the coastline. Very dry, arctic air from the west continues pushing into our area and limiting our snow totals.

In addition, we look toward the jet stream.

That’s located at airplane cruising altitude (roughly 30,000 feet above us). There’s a very specific part of the jet stream – the right entrance – in which air rises more.

More rising air means more precipitation. That’s also why the coast is favored to see more snow than we are this far inland.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it snows more at the beach than in other parts of town? It may seem counterintuitive, but there are actually several reasons why this phenomenon occurs.

One reason is the proximity to large bodies of water, such as the ocean. Water has a moderating effect on temperature, so areas near the coast tend to have milder winters than inland areas. This means that when a snowstorm hits, the beach may receive more snow than other parts of town because the temperature is lower and the conditions are more conducive to snowfall.

Another factor is the presence of moisture in the air. Coastal areas tend to have higher humidity levels, which can result in more precipitation during a snowstorm. This added moisture can lead to heavier snowfall at the beach compared to inland areas where the air may be drier.

Additionally, coastal areas often experience more intense weather systems due to their proximity to the ocean. Strong winds can pick up moisture from the water and bring it inland, leading to heavier snowfall at the beach.

So next time you’re wondering why it’s snowing more at the beach than in other parts of town, remember that factors such as proximity to water, humidity levels, and weather patterns all play a role in determining where the most snow will fall.

Tags:

• snow at the beach
• beach snow phenomenon
• winter weather at the beach
• snow forecast comparison
• beach snowstorm
• coastal snowfall patterns
• snow accumulation at the coast
• beach vs. inland snowfall
• weather phenomenon explanation
• coastal winter weather trends

#snow #beach