Bolaris forecast update: snow threat rises

First, to put your minds at ease, New Year's Eve and the first day of 2014 should be basically cold, with the chance of snow flurries or some light snow for the Mummers parade, but nothing major.

For the ringing in of the New Year, midnight temperatures will be in the mid-20s.

The Mummers parade will see temps start in the 20s then hover around the freezing mark with the chance of flurries or a little light snow.

For the second half of the week, however, get ready for a possible one-two punch by old man winter.

The first punch is the more uncertain one with computer models now strongly hedging a significant storm formation in and around the North Carolina/Virginia coast.

Models have been trending to a track closer to the coast than previous runs, suggesting an increasing chance for a snowstorm, either for the Mid-Atlantic (more southern track) or for the Northeast (with a more northerly development).

The majority of the models are keeping the storm too far off the coast, preventing a major snowstorm, but the trending of late cannot be ignored.

These recent models raise the accumulating snow potential from Low to Borderline Moderate (meaning a 40-50 percent chance of snow accumulations.

The time frame to watch is Jan 2-3.

The more certain second punch will be a record-breaking Arctic punch - with daytime highs on Friday in the mid-20s.

Temperatures below zero will be common across sections of the interior Northeast and New England on Friday night.

In the meantime, get ready for a liquid storm today - with the heaviest rain taking place during the afternoon and early evening before moving out.

John Bolaris