Snow looking more likely for Notre Dame Football playoff game

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Despite the cold weather Friday on campus at Notre Dame, snow was hard to come by.

A warm-up this weekend should eliminate any snow still on the ground across Michiana as highs climb into the 50s by Monday.

However, winter looks set to return just in time for playoff football in South Bend, and some snow could return, too.

Both of our main long-range forecast models are hinting at snow during the opening game of the College Football Playoff between Notre Dame and Indiana next Friday. This far in advance, agreement between the GFS (American model) and the EURO (European model) is typically a good thing.

However, if you dive into the data further, you see that the end result of "snow" comes about in different ways. And while that might not seem like it matters, it will ultimately play a role in how severe any snow that falls for the big game is.

As of Friday evening, the GFS model depicts snow arriving from the northwest by the start of the contest. This would be what we call "system" snow, when snow falls as a result of a passing storm system (in this case, a "clipper"). Typically, system snow coincides with cold, but not frigid, temperatures. Snow can also be slightly lighter compared to lake effect snow.

The EURO, however, speeds things up. This weather model sends a "clipper" through on Thursday, setting South Bend up for lake effect snow Friday during the game. If this scenario plays out, temperatures will likely be colder, winds will be higher, and any snow will be heavier. The weather will likely have more of an impact on the game in this scenario.

So, which model is correct? The truth will likely lie somewhere in the middle. What is clear is that we should prepare for a chance of snow Friday at Notre Dame Stadium.

We will continue to fine-tune the forecast as the picture becomes clearer into early next week. Stay with ABC57 for the very latest updates!