Wednesday Afternoon of April 3, 2024
Radar sponsored by Creative Compassion (https://ccihomes.org/)
There are reports of graupel across the area! I mentioned this possibility in the morning forecast. I’ve attached an image to remind you of what graupel is. I call it the first cousin of both hail and sleet. (ha) Graupel can be accompanied by t-showers, and some of you have had some thunder with your graupel.
Graupel is like a really soft hail, so it rarely does any damage. It tends to crumble easily.
Graupel is the result of VERY cold air aloft in the atmosphere, which is certainly what we have today. This is the upper level low that is trailing yesterday’s storm system. Notice on the graphic below the cold air that is swirling overhead. That cold air also dramatically increases the rate at which temperatures decrease with height, which leads to instability. That’s why some of you have also had some thunder with your graupel.
Systems like this also cause very gusty winds at the surface, so be aware of that if you’re out and about (bundle up because that wind is cold!).
As we go into the night and surface temps cool into the 30s, more of this precip will change to snow showers. Because of their being so much super cold air in the atmosphere, temps won’t have to drop to freezing for snowflakes to survive their journey to the ground. Some snow showers may come down in rather heavy bursts tonight and in the morning.
While no accumulation is expected, snow could briefly accumulate in heavier snow showers. It will quickly melt, though, when the snow shower stops.
Don’t you just love April in Tennessee? (ha!)
Warmer temps return by the weekend.
