MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0228
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0939 PM CDT THU MAR 12 2009
   
   AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS OF ERN KY...SRN WV...SWRN VA
   
   CONCERNING...HEAVY SNOW 
   
   VALID 130239Z - 130545Z
   
   SNOWFALL INTENSITY MAY INCREASE OVER PORTIONS OF ERN KY INTO SRN
   WV/SWRN VA THROUGH 05Z...WITH RATES UP TO 1 IN/HR POSSIBLE.
   
   00Z UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS SHOW A 160 KT UPPER LEVEL JET EXITING
   THROUGH NEW ENGLAND...WITH THE RRQ RESIDING OVER THE OH VALLEY
   REGION. IN ADDITION...A SUBTLE 100 KT SPEED MAX WAS APPROACHING
   KY/TN. THESE FEATURES WILL CONTINUE TO YIELD STRONG UPPER LEVEL
   DIVERGENCE/LARGE SCALE ASCENT ACROSS THE DISCUSSION AREA THROUGH
   06Z...RESULTING IN CONTINUED SNOWFALL. THOUGH RATES HAVE GENERALLY
   BEEN LIGHT DURING THE EVENING SO FAR...CONFLUENT 850-700 MB FLOW
   ACTING ON A QUASI-MERIDIONALLY ORIENTED THERMAL GRADIENT IS FAVORING
   A ZONE OF MODERATE TO STRONG LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS...EVIDENT BY
   BANDED ECHO STRUCTURE IN RECENT RADAR REFLECTIVITY. AS A RESULT...AN
   INCREASE IN SNOWFALL INTENSITY IS POSSIBLE...WITH RATES UP TO 1
   IN/HR.
   
   ..GARNER.. 03/13/2009
   
   
   ATTN...WFO...RNK...RLX...MRX...JKL...ILN...LMK...
   
   LAT...LON   36698194 36628391 36658552 36998589 37748545 37978525
               38508394 38388238 37868100 37208113 36698194