The first few days of January were delightful. Then we got a harsh reminder that it is winter. It snowed on the third day of January. And it seems like it has never stopped snowing with several rounds of winter weather coating the Piedmont Triad.

Forecasting winter weather isn’t easy. There are multiple factors to consider.

Is there cold air available? How strong is our incoming storm system? Will the biggest threat to snow—warm air aloft—be a factor and cut into our forecast snow totals? When there is so much to look over, it can be exhausting. Then you get into the actual event where you are on-air and online.

There’s a lot of balance, but you do it because you want people to be prepared and safe.

Afterward, you take a breath. Review what went right and what went wrong so you can be better prepared for the next winter event.

We have a few months to go before we can say goodbye to snow.

— Charles Ewing, meteorologist

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