MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0041
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1138 AM CST THU JAN 17 2013
   
   AREAS AFFECTED...PARTS OF THE SRN APPALACHIANS/BLUE RIDGE MTNS
   
   CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW 
   
   VALID 171738Z - 172245Z
   
   SUMMARY...MODERATE RAIN/MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO HEAVY
   SNOW OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND BECOME INCREASINGLY WIDESPREAD
   DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF 1-2 IN/HR EXPECTED.
   
   DISCUSSION...A RATHER FAVORABLE SETUP FOR HEAVY WET SNOW IS LIKELY
   TO EVOLVE IN ASSOCIATION WITH A VIGOROUS 500 MB LOW CENTERED OVER
   NRN/CNTRL AL. AS THIS LOW TRACKS E/NEWD TOWARDS THE CAROLINA
   PIEDMONT THIS EVENING...ROBUST MID-LEVEL DCVA WILL SUPPORT
   PERSISTENCE OF AN EXPANSIVE PRECIPITATION SHIELD ACROSS THE
   SOUTHEAST INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC. MORNING GUIDANCE IS HIGHLY
   CONSISTENT THAT PRONOUNCED LOWER-TROPOSPHERIC COOLING /AOB THE 700
   MB LEVEL/ IS OCCURRING WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN A DEEP NEARLY
   ISOTHERMAL LAYER AROUND FREEZING. IN ADDITION...WITH THE DENDRITIC
   GROWTH ZONE BEING CENTERED NEAR 500 MB WHERE ASCENT IS EXPECTED TO
   BE MAXIMIZED...THE THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE SHOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO
   LARGE DENDRITES WITH OPTIMAL LIQUID WATER CONTENT. THIS SHOULD FAVOR
   A BAND OF SNOWFALL RATES INCREASING TO 1-2 IN/HR...WHICH IS
   SUPPORTED BY 09Z SREF PROBABILITIES. THIS APPEARS MOST LIKELY TO
   DEVELOP FROM PARTS OF FAR NERN TN INTO FAR SRN WV AND EXPAND EWD
   ACROSS SWRN VA/FAR WRN NC BY LATE AFTERNOON.
   
   ..GRAMS.. 01/17/2013
   
   
   ATTN...WFO...RNK...RLX...GSP...MRX...JKL...
   
   LAT...LON   36608349 37388214 37808123 38068018 38007982 37787968
               37387982 36608063 35888179 35608259 35808321 35958353
               36288363 36608349