Winter Weather Watch 2014-2015: Winter Storm Eris and Colder Next Week

By Tom Niziol

Published Dec 25,2014 09:24PM,EST

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Welcome to the Winter Weather Watch, your daily briefing on winter weather threats across the nation, by winter weather expert Tom Niziol. Bookmark this page and check back for regular updates through spring 2015.
Below is the latest forecast discussion from Tom Niziol, as well as links to jump to the latest forecast and current maps and our list of the 2014-2015 winter storm names. You can either scroll down the page, or click on these links to jump to your section of interest.
- Snowfall forecast: Map showing forecast snowfall totals over the next 48 hours.
- Latest winter radar: See where any snow, freezing rain or sleet is falling now.
- Where's the cold: Is cold air building in Canada or Alaska?
- Winter storm names: The entire list of names this season and the science behind how we name them.

Winter Storm Eris 

Winter Storm Eris will move from the Rockies into the Plains Friday afternoon through night.
Double-digit snowfall will occur across the higher elevations from the Wasatch through Tetons and Colorado Rockies all the way south into the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Ranges in New Mexico through Friday morning. For population centers such as Salt Lake City as much as 5 to 8 inches is likely, some of that will melt early on as temperature hover around the freezing mark but that will change as temperatures plummet overnight. In Denver, snow will pick up overnight as temperatures drop from around 40 down through the teens by morning. Total snow in the city will range from 4 to 6 inches with higher amounts along the Front Range.
During Friday, the system will weaken a bit as it moves through the Central and Northern Plains. From Nebraska through South Dakota a few inches of snow are likely Friday and farther north through Minnesota an inch or two is likely through Friday night.
(MORE: Winter Storm Eris Forecast)

Colder Pattern Setting Up for Next Week

All models are now advertising a change to a colder pattern from what we have been experiencing across a large portion of the U.S. next week. Temperatures will be averaging some 15 to 25 degrees colder than what we should normally be seeing at this time of the year. As the cold air builds southward across the U.S. it will set the stage for the potential for more wintry weather to develop. That wintry weather could even be displaced quite far south if we can get moisture from the Southern stream interacting with that cold air.
What we are confident about right now is that it will get colder across a good portion of the U.S. later next week. There is much more uncertainty as to any storm tracks that may develop, if at all, next week to produce wintry weather.
(MORE: Arctic Cold Returns) 

Forecast: How Much Snow?

48-Hour Snowfall Forecast

Now: Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain

Current Winter Radar

Where's the Cold?

Current Temperatures

2014-2015's Winter Storm Names

 

In an effort to increase awareness and enhance communication of disruptive, impactful winter storms, The Weather Channel named winter storms starting in the 2012-2013 season. We are using a new list of names, shown above, for the 2014-2015 season.
(MORE: Origin of the Names | Science Behind Naming Winter Storms)
In 2012-2013, there were 27 named winter storms spanning over five months beginning with the post-Sandy Winter Storm Athena in early November and ending with Winter Storm Achilles in early May.
(RECAP: Winter 2012-2013 Named Storms)
In 2013-2014, there were 26 named winter storms beginning in early October with historic High Plains Winter Storm Atlas and ending with a mid-May Rockies snowstorm, Winter Storm Zephyr.
(RECAP: Winter 2013-2014 Named Storms)
Not every winter weather system will receive a name. The Weather Channel has specific criteria in place to determine when we name a particular winter storm. Our two main criteria for naming a winter storm are:

• It is forecast to produce conditions that meet the National Weather Service winter-weather warning threshold(s) over a main population center or multiple states, beginning generally within 48 hours.
• It is forecast to produce winter weather conditions that would be historic, especially unusual, or memorable, beginning generally within 48 hours.

For more coverage of winter weather, check out our Winter Storm Central page.