Snow now more likely in Gulf Coast next week as forecast shows rare cold front

(WEAR) — It’s rare for the Gulf Coast, but snow is officially in the forecast. It might be mixed with rain, sleet and freezing rain but it will be cold enough for just plain snow.

Prior to this cold weather event, warm air and rain is forecast on Saturday. The rain Saturday is more likely during the morning hours, but a shower could pop up at any time.

Cold air rushes in following the rain. Sunday highs will likely reach low 50s but it will never feel that warm with a wind gusting at 25 miles per hour (mph). The wind chill values will be even more brutal on Monday morning. With a north wind continuing, temps will be in the 20s Monday morning with wind chill values in the teens.

When it’s freezing cold on the Gulf Coast, usually the air is dry and skies are clear. In this rare circumstance, low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico will send moisture into a cold pocket of air over the coast, likely resulting in snowfall.

Model data had been mixed on the possibility for snow but now models are in much better agreement, meaning snowfall is increasingly more likely for the northern Gulf Coast.

While it is difficult to forecast accumulation, 1-2 inches will be possible Tuesday night.

Regardless of what falls from the skies, temperatures will be dangerously cold for several days.